The NBA has a poetic approach of rewarding you on your strengths and making you pay on your shortcomings. For the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks final evening, destiny performed the hits within the largest second.
Regardless of how poorly they performed, Boston gave themselves possibilities to win down the stretch. The bench was nonexistent, taking pictures was nearly common and the Celtics’ offense got here all the way down to Jaylen Brown and Derrick White making pictures once they wanted to. The Celtics shot 9 complete p.c higher than the Hawks from three, reaching their fabled 40% mark that often signifies a win.
However counting stats can solely get you to this point, even when the Celtics’ shot themselves within the foot so many instances they may as effectively be sponsored by the brand new Nike Bullseye 1s. Sure, the Celtics allowed 20 offensive rebounds and dedicated 20 turnovers, which might be a simple rationalization, however finally, all of it got here all the way down to one in every of every.
One offensive rebound…
And one turnover…
These had been the poster boys of Tuesday evening’s failure, but it surely’s silly to assume the sport was performed on an offensive-rebound-and-turnover-laden spreadsheet and these had been merely the ultimate two statistical entries. It’s finally going to return down to creating the precise play. The Celtics failed epically to execute primary basketball duties like boxing out and throwing an correct inbounds cross.
If it wasn’t Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels or Larry Nance Jr. would have had that rebound. Boston simply didn’t have sufficient dimension within the paint to deal with them; Jayson Tatum and Al Horford had been unfold out vast. As for the cross, Jrue Vacation and Tatum simply weren’t on the identical web page. It’s easy, but merely maddening. I really like making enjoyable of coaches when their broadcast interviews are simply “you already know, we now have to execute!” however there’s a purpose they love that phrase.
This recreation felt like a smoothie of sloppiness, but it surely had sufficient Clutchberries in it to present Boston an actual shot. However these two performs had been the ultimate seasoning decisions that consigned the smoothie to oblivion. You’ll be able to’t put cayenne pepper in a smoothie. You simply can’t.
The Celtics did loads effectively past their informal relationship with the ball final evening. White and Brown had been spectacular, combining for effectively over half of Boston’s factors — 68 of 116. However their dominance might recommend surrounding incompetence: they had been the one gamers to make a discipline objective within the fourth quarter.
That isn’t going to work long-term. I really assume Tatum was loads assertive down the stretch — he simply must make pictures. That game-icing nook three he missed? It was an awesome shot. It simply didn’t go down.
Boston is feeling the dearth of Kristaps Porzingis as an offensive innings-eater, and easily wasn’t capable of soak up simultaneous off-nights from Payton Pritchard, Vacation and (to a lesser extent) Tatum. They simply run out of choices: Neemias Queta performed 21 minutes, however didn’t try a shot. Luke Kornet is clearly nonetheless not totally wholesome. And Horford can’t deliver the vitality they’d want from him to salvage that kind of scenario.
There is no such thing as a good purpose to hurry Porzingis again (and many good ones to not). However the Celtics have now twice seemed discombobulated and sloppy with out their very best offensive firepower this season. Most nights, they’ll be capable to soak up that, but it surely’s not possible to solely have two guys who can rating within the final quarter once you’ve already ruined your smoothie. Within the second evening of a back-to-back in opposition to the Nets tonight, let’s see if they’ll mix up a greater one.
