The Boston Celtics scored 4 factors within the final 5 minutes of their Friday night time sport towards the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray mixed to shoot 29-of-43 (67.4%) from the sector, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown shot a mixed 2-of-16 (12.5%) from three-point vary, however Boston nonetheless managed to carry the Nuggets to 102 factors on the night time and located themselves one shot away from additional time.
All of it got here all the way down to the final 5 minutes.
They shot simply 2-of-10 in clutch time, with their solely makes being a Brown layup on the 4:51 mark and a monstrous Tatum dunk with 1:41 remaining.
4 of the Celtics’ eight clutch-time misses had been three-pointers, all of which had been stand-still soar photographs that simply didn’t fall—two Derrick White misses, one from Al Horford, and one from Brown.
“Truthfully, I nonetheless assume we obtained a variety of nice appears to be like,” Tatum mentioned. “A kind of instances within the fourth quarter, we obtained the offensive rebound twice, or 3 times, and we had three attractiveness from three. And I really feel like we simply sort of missed some photographs late within the sport.
“However Joe mentioned it within the locker room: we nonetheless moved the ball fairly effectively for probably the most half, [and] generated some attractiveness. [They] simply didn’t go down once we wanted them to.”
Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures
The opposite 4 photographs had been taken by Tatum, who took only one three-pointer within the second half after a 1-of-7 exhibiting from distance. Nonetheless, all 4 of his misses within the clutch had been two-point photographs.
As the sport neared its finish, the tempo slowed down. Each groups fought to get the absolute best shot, and in flip, possessions obtained longer and longer, particularly with the offensive rebounds each groups had been snagging left and proper.
Boston, at their finest in fast-paced conditions and with the ball zipping across the perimeter, fell into the slog of late shot clock photographs. Mixed with their lack of shot-making, it made for a brutal offensive exhibiting within the fourth.
The sport in the end got here down to 2 Tatum photographs within the ultimate 18 seconds of the sport.
With simply over 20 seconds left within the contest, the Celtics obtained a turnover, and Tatum rushed the ball to the opposite finish. Relatively than resetting the offense and slowing the tempo, Tatum ran.
He obtained via Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, however the two-time MVP poked the ball lose, resulting in a wild layup try over Jamal Murray.
“In these conditions, you all the time need to be aggressive,” Tatum mentioned. “After which let your instincts take over and attempt to make the suitable play. However I missed a few bunnies on the finish. I gotta be higher and simply actually end these.”
The Celtics might have milked the clock down up 101-100 and went for the ultimate shot, however Tatum tried to make a play, and it didn’t work out.
It was a clumsy drive that resulted in zero factors for the Celtics, however a possession they’re keen to reside with.
“Effectively, your finest participant has the ball and a chance, and whether or not it was on two or three guys, he obtained a layup and simply missed it,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned of the play. “So I imply, the stability is you belief your finest participant to make a play, and [he] simply didn’t make it.”
Picture By Winslow Townson/Getty Pictures
Boston fouled Aaron Gordon shortly after, sending the 62.2% free-throw shooter to the stripe. One make and one bizarre lane violation ruling later, the Celtics gained an odd soar ball choice and had the ball with an opportunity to tie or take the lead down 102-100.
After a Mazzulla timeout, Boston’s first try at a play failed. So, he known as one other with just below 5 seconds left within the sport.
“Effectively, that they had a foul to offer. So, I used to be ensuring that we simply obtained the shot and obtained into the set that we wished,” Mazzulla mentioned. “And so, I wasn’t certain once they had been going to make use of their foul to offer. So, getting JB in his spot, I assumed he obtained into the paint, and he did a superb job kicking it out. After which they had been about to make use of their foul to offer after I known as the timeout.”
Tatum obtained the ball with Caldwell-Pope on his again. He rotated and threw up a middy, however it missed.
“I believe I sort of rushed it. And that’s on me. Behind my thoughts, I wasn’t certain in the event that they had been going to foul. They needed to foul to offer. However I had extra time than I gave myself, so I ought to have [taken] some extra time. However you possibly can’t return. So, [it’s] one thing I can study from.”
With 5 minutes left within the sport, the Celtics had been up 96-95. The ultimate 5 minutes noticed a mixed 11 factors scored, and Boston’s offense wasn’t in a position to assist their protection, which held the Nuggets to 3-of-10 taking pictures in that point, together with 0-of-5 within the final two minutes.
The Celtics could find yourself being content material with their shot choice, however they didn’t fall once they wanted to. And towards a crew as proficient because the defending champs, that’s typically all that issues.
