BOSTON — Xavier Tillman has repeatedly told reporters that he’s feeling much, much better.
He’s down 12 pounds, is no longer dealing with knee swelling, and is eyeing a career season on a Celtics team that is lacking proven frontcourt options.
And, on Wednesday night, an offseason of tireless work culminated in the game-winning floater against the Toronto Raptors.
After the second-unit Celtics blew a 12-point lead with less than two minutes left to play, it was Tillman who found himself wide-open for the game-deciding bucket, calmly sinking it and subsequently erupting into celebration with his teammates.
“I don’t care that it’s a preseason game,” Joe Mazzulla said postgame. “The fact is we won, and he was a big part of that, and he delivered — and we’re going to need him as we start the season.”
Tillman echoed that sentiment: though it’s just preseason, the game was meaningful.
“Those are the kind of moments that I kind of really relish.”
The 26-year-old has mostly been out of the rotation since he was acquired by the Celtics in a midseason trade in February of 2024.
But, despite that, his resume of clutch Celtics plays is growing; Wednesday actually marked Tillman’s second victory-deciding basket (we’ll never forget his clutch heroics against the Sacramento Kings in April of 2024, right?)
And, there’s Tillman’s most famous play in green, the big-time three-pointer he drained late in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, which Mazzulla has referenced on numerous occasions throughout the past few seasons.
But how does Tillman stay so calm in high-pressure moments?
He smiled when asked the question.
“I got three kids — there’s really nothing to stress about playing basketball,” Tillman said after the game. “I got real life at home, so I’m not too worried about what happens here.”
That late-game calmness was on full display on Wednesday, when Tillman scored all 7 of his points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter — a three-pointer, a nifty finish at the rim, and the game-winning floater.
To his teammates, the late-game impact comes as no surprise.
“He is very consistent day in and day out — with his work, with his energy, when things are going well, when things are going bad,” said Derrick White. “He keeps that same demeanor. When the game’s on the line, he’s really encouraging, he’s really upbeat.”
That work ethic and professionalism never changed.
The only difference, now, is that Tillman is healthy, and it’s changing what he can do on the court.
“I just feel more explosive versus last year, [when] I would kind of be scared to jump, because I didn’t know if my knee would be able to absorb the reaction of the force,” he said.
Mazzulla believes that this season’s defensive philosophy could benefit Tillman, too; the Celtics are poised to play a more aggressive style of defense that should accentuate his strengths.
“He does a great job of getting deflections, great job with active hands, protecting the rim,” Mazzulla said.
“I’m more of an aggressive type of defender versus like a ‘just stay back and protect the rim’ type of defender,” Tillman said.
Tillman has played fewer than 500 minutes as a Celtic since arriving in Boston, but an increased opportunity could be coming.
Jaylen Brown said on his Twitch stream earlier this week that Tillman has been a training camp standout.
“I’m looking for him to have a big year,” Brown said.
If Wednesday night is any indication, the tides could be turning.
Derrick White is looking forward to seeing it: “He worked his ass off for this.”
