“Gentle the beam” chants broke out at TD Backyard because the Boston Celtics watched the ultimate seconds tick off of the clock Friday. When the buzzer sounded, it finalized what had been determined for the previous couple of minutes — their 114-97 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Boston entered the fourth quarter tied with the guests after which spent 12 minutes watching as their fourth win in 5 video games rapidly turned their fifth loss of their final eight dwelling video games and their seventh of their final 15 total. They couldn’t throw the ball within the ocean after which watched the Kings shoot 61% from the sector and 8-11 from deep within the ultimate body.
“Whenever you’re having inefficient offense it places stress in your protection,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned after his crew’s 42-point second half. “I don’t assume it’s a long-term effort factor. If you happen to’re in a position to maintain a crew like that, to a 19-point quarter and a 23-point quarter, and you’ve got two 21-point quarters. I feel that simply wears on you. And so, whether or not it’s shot-making, whether or not it’s execution, whether or not it’s spacing, I feel that takes a toll on you.”
Mazzulla is correct. As soon as issues began to go poorly on offense, it was clearly affecting the protection.
Frustration is an actual factor. It occurs to all of us.
For the Celtics, theirs resulted in defensive lapses.
Take this possession for instance. Boston leaves Malik Monk broad open for a 3. When he misses, they fail to safe the rebound, which discovered Domantas Sabonis (this, and like each different rebound). As soon as Sabonis had possession, the Celtics elected to not defend him and left him open for a 3 of his personal.
“If you happen to’re going to shoot 28% from three, you understand, you’re going to need to do a bunch of different issues, actually, actually, rather well, and it places stress in your protection all through the sport,” Mazzulla added. “So, we have now to be higher.”
Now, there have been lapses in effort just like the play above, however there have been additionally lapses in focus. These surfaced as soon as issues began to snowball. Pictures weren’t falling, stops weren’t taking place, and on the uncommon event that Sacramento missed, rebounds weren’t secured.
The Cs obtained determined and began to take extra dangers, like this tried steal by Jaylen Brown.
There’s nothing mistaken with attempting to spark some vitality at a vital level within the recreation. Boston had been slipping and an enormous play may’ve revitalized them.
Sadly, that’s not what occurred. As an alternative, the Kings needed to do actually nothing besides maintain onto the basketball when Brown blitzed. By doing so, they created an open nook three.
Frustration additionally occurs to followers, who booed the Celtics halfway by the fourth quarter because the Kings capped a 21-7 begin to the interval.
The emotion stems additional than simply Friday’s loss. Although it was a brutal one, maybe the worst of the season, it wasn’t in contrast to what followers have been awaiting the previous month or so.
The Celtics are 8-7 of their final 15 video games
In that span, Boston ranks fifth in offense and 4th in protection
However in 4th quarters throughout that span, Boston ranks eighth in offense and twenty sixth in protection
— Cameron Tabatabaie (@CTabatabaie) January 11, 2025
The offensive struggles have been current, whereas the protection has been inconsistent. Extra particularly, these inconsistencies include the sport on the road. Whether or not you wish to website the Christmas loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the sooner loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and even the disappointing outing in opposition to the Chicago Bulls, the story feels just about the identical.
“I feel, partly, typically, our offense, whether or not it’s our spacing, whether or not we’re not taking pictures in addition to we wish to,” mentioned Jayson Tatum on the tough month. “Tonight, we had quite a lot of turnovers, I did, specifically. All these issues play a component, and our protection wanted to do higher.”
The Celtics have completely earned some grace. They simply received a championship, in spite of everything. On the identical time, this 15-game pattern measurement shouldn’t be nothing. There can solely be so many “we have now to be higher” press conferences. In some unspecified time in the future, if there’s no change or return to the usual, we’re all going to need to take heed to the Cs after they’re telling us who they’re.
