Celtics Summer League: How Rookie Dillon Mitchell Beat the Hornets

The Game in Plain English

On Sunday, the Boston Celtics played a basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets.

• The Celtics won with a final score of 87-75.
• This was part of the summer league (a casual time for newer players to show their skills).
• The Celtics are now 2-0 (they won both games they’ve played).
• Next up: They will play the Atlanta Hawks on Monday at 6 p.m.

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The Star of the Game: Dillon Mitchell

Dillon Mitchell is a rookie (a first-year player) for the Celtics. In this game, he was guarded by Ryan Kalkbrenner, a giant center (a tall player who stays near the basket) who is 7 feet 1 inch tall!

Kalkbrenner gave Mitchell room to shoot from far away (this space is called the "perimeter") because he was worried Mitchell would run past him to the basket, where Mitchell is really good.

But Mitchell stayed calm! He made 2 out of 5 shots from far away (called 3-pointers).

• Cool Fact: That is more 3-pointers than he made during his entire last year of college!

How Mitchell Scored in Different Ways

Mitchell didn’t just stand still and shoot. He used many ways to help his team:

1. He made 2 long-distance 3-point shots.
2. He took the ball from the other team (steals) and ran fast to score (fast-break baskets).
3. He jumped for missed shots and quickly scored them (called "putbacks").

His full stats were amazing and expected from a star:

• 24 points (total scoring)
• 8 rebounds (grabbing the ball after a miss)
• 6 steals (taking the ball from opponents)
• 2 blocks (swatting shots away)

Important Point: Mitchell said the coaches kept looking at him and saying, "Just shoot the ball!" He felt confident because he knew his friends would jump for the rebound if he missed (this is called "crashing" for offensive rebounds).

Celtics coach Amile Jefferson was thrilled with his energy:

"He was so alive today… He played with such great energy… He crashed every time. He had like three different times where he almost had a tip dunk [a quick slam right off a rebound]. So when he’s playing with that kind of pop, he’s going to be really good. And anytime he gets an open three he should shoot it. And he did that today, and he was confident."

Other Fun Things That Happened

Derrick White Becomes a Coach for a Day

Usually, Derrick White is a player. On Friday, he watched from the seats with stars like Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh. But on Sunday, he went further: he put on a coach’s uniform and sat on the bench! He shouted tips and gave advice. Coach Jefferson said this is pure "Celtics culture" (meaning everyone helps the team).

Young Big Guys Had a Tough Time

Two tall players, Amari Williams and Chris Cenac Jr., were stars in Friday’s win over the Raptors but struggled Sunday against Charlotte.

• Cenac only scored 2 points (he missed 6 of 7 shots).
• Williams had 6 points, 4 blocks, but lost the ball 5 times (turnovers).

There was also a funny mix-up:

• Tucker DeVries hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in the first quarter. This gave the Celtics a "two-for-one" chance (meaning they could get an extra shot before the quarter ended).
• Williams didn’t realize the time rule. When the Hornets missed a shot at the buzzer, Williams grabbed the ball, thought the quarter was over, and just held it! He finally realized his mistake and threw the ball all the way across the court.

Hugo González’s Bumpy Day

Hugo González (a second-year side player) had what he called one of the worst shooting games of his life on Friday against the Raptors (only 3 of 16 shots). Sunday started rough too:

• Through three quarters, he missed almost everything (1 of 6 shots, 1 of 5 from long range).
• But in the final quarter, he got hot, making 2 of 4 long shots!
• He made 5 mistakes (turnovers) but was a defensive star, forcing the other team to mess up. Coach Jefferson told him to just be himself, use his tools to get steals, and guard the best opponent.

The Tough Opponent: Liam McNeeley

Liam McNeeley (formerly of UConn, now on Hornets) played very physically.

• In the first quarter, he got the Celtics in foul trouble (drew 5 fouls) by easily moving from the left corner to his right hand.
• Coaches told González to guard him tighter.
• In the second quarter, the Celtics made it harder. During three straight defensive possessions, Mitchell and Williams blocked his inside shots, and the team forced another tough miss.

Sideline Shenanigans and Missing Players

• Grant Williams (who used to play for the Celtics and is entering his fourth season with Charlotte) spent time taking photos from the sidelines! He even snapped pictures of White and Walsh during a second-quarter timeout.
• Kyle Mangas (a guard) had to miss the game because he was sick.

Team Effort Stats

• John Tonje added 17 points for the Celtics.
• As a team, they forced 25 turnovers (made the other team lose the ball) and got 11 steals and 8 blocks.

Summary

The Boston Celtics won their second summer league game 87-75 against the Hornets. Rookie Dillon Mitchell was the superstar, scoring 24 points and confidently shooting from far away for the first time. The team played tough defense with 25 forced turnovers. While some young players like Williams and González had messy moments, the team showed great heart and "Celtics culture." Next game: Monday at 6 p.m. against the Hawks!

Original reporting by Adam Himmelsbach for The Boston Globe. He can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com and followed on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.

FAQ

1. What is a "putback" in basketball?
A putback is when a player grabs a missed shot (a rebound) and immediately scores the ball before the other team can react.

2. Why did the tall defender give Mitchell space to shoot?
Ryan Kalkbrenner is very tall and good at protecting the basket inside. He gave Mitchell space far from the hoop because he knew Mitchell is most dangerous when driving toward the basket, not shooting from far away.

3. What does "crashing" the boards mean?
"Crashing" means running hard toward the basket after a shot is taken, so you can grab the rebound (the ball after a miss) and maybe score again.

4. Who is Derrick White and why was he dressed like a coach?
Derrick White is a regular Celtics player. During this game, he wore a coaching uniform and sat on the bench to give advice and support the younger players, showing strong team spirit.