After a stretch of 5 video games in seven nights (and 6 in 9), it’s not stunning that the Memphis Grizzlies outscored the Celtics 22-4 in transition factors en path to a 127-121 win at TD Backyard on Saturday night time.
Boston had truly turned a 14-point deficit within the third right into a 4-point result in begin the ultimate body, however in the long run, didn’t have the legs to shut it out.
It’s undoubtedly robust. All people’s drained. It’s been sort of a tricky stretch, nevertheless it’s no excuse,” Payton Pritchard mentioned after scoring 22 factors on 6-o-f-11 taking pictures from the arc and being a part of the closing lineup. “You gotta come out. We’re the very best group within the NBA and we gotta present it each night time. That’s our mentality. We gotta present it each night time.”
For probably the most half, they’ve regardless of some tough circumstances. The loss to the Grizzlies was their first in 5 backends of a back-to-back. That they had received each video games in Charlotte in an away-and-away towards the Hornets, blew out Brooklyn on the highway, and crushed the Clippers and Warmth after robust video games towards the Timberwolves and Cavaliers respectively.
They’ve a glowing 15.9 web score on the second night time of a back-to-back (121.9 off rtg, 106 def rtg). You possibly can even argue that they’re at their greatest with their backs (no pun meant) towards the wall. With a extra conventional night time off between video games, their web score drops to 7.1.
However now, by advantage of lacking out on NBA Cup competition, they’ll play simply two video games within the subsequent eleven days — Thursday night time internet hosting the Pistons and Sunday night time in DC — earlier than heading again to TD Backyard for a Thursday tilt towards the visiting Bulls.
“It’ll be good, to get some days off,” Jaylen Brown mentioned. “It’s been some robust scheduling, so tonight, I don’t suppose was the very best indication of Celtics basketball.”
All issues thought-about, the Celtics are comparatively wholesome (after a Kristaps Porzingis damage scare) with six of their subsequent 9 video games duringthe holidays at house. They’re second within the East at 19-5 with a top-10 offense and protection with the third highest web score within the league. A tricky December loss to one of many West’s hottest groups doesn’t change that.
“It’s basketball. It’s going to occur to each single group, so we don’t actually have an excuse,” Jrue Vacation mentioned. “You simply must go on the market and play, although generally, video games may not go your manner, we at all times know we’ll be in it due to the way in which we play and the way laborious we play.”
