Tacko Fall has been called upon to perform for the short-lived Boston Celtics on Friday night, and the big man answers the bell.
Fall quickly made his presence felt in the first quarter of the game between C and Wizards, with a big block on Russell Westbrook. From there, the 7-foot-5 phenomenon came productively 19 minutes off the bench. He finished with 116 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in Boston’s 116-107 victory.
Celtics-Wizards Overreactions: Time for More Tacko?
No one was happier to see Fall succeed than Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
“I thought he was great tonight. I thought he changed the game in many ways when he came in in the first quarter, it was back and forth,” Stevens said after the game. ‘One of the things we missed without those guys here is a degree of physicality and a degree of edge protection. He provided both things in a big way, so I thought he was great. ‘
“We just singled him out in the locker room. I could not be happier for the man. He goes from undefeated to two-way to two-way, but like last year in the bubble, he does not have half the time. All he does is smile. He’s a good teammate, as good as I’ve been, and he works. He’s just a – he’s definitely a good one. And I’m really happy for him. . “
There could be a lot more Tacko Time where it comes from. Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams and Grant Williams will miss at least one week due to health and safety protocols, meaning Fall will likely be asked to give more quality minutes to Boston’s second unit.
Next time for the Celtics is a game against the Miami Heat on Sunday night. Tip is set for 19:00 ET, but be sure to tune in to “Celtics Pregame Live” at 18:00 for a preview of the match.