Sunday’s last buzzer closed the door on the Boston Celtics’ fourth loss in six video games — a feat that they have been in a position to keep away from all of final season. Their second outing in three days in opposition to the Indiana Pacers had a a lot completely different really feel than their first.
Boston gave up seven fewer factors by three quarters (98) than they did within the entirety of Friday’s dominant win (105). There was no carryover in vitality after the Cs seemingly discovered what they’d been missing of their Christmas Day letdown in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Based on head coach Joe Mazzulla, there have been different components in play through the wire-to-wire victory in Sport 1 of this back-to-back.
“I believe the distinction was final recreation, clearly, they have been down (Andrew) Nembhard and so they have been on the second evening of a back-to-back,” he instructed reporters. “And so tonight, I believe they’d, like, extra factors in transition within the first half than they did in all the recreation (Friday). And , whenever you’re not taking part in effectively defensively, that’s on all people. It’s on the employees, it’s on the coaches, it’s on the gamers. So we’ve simply received to proceed to work on it.”
Whereas these components are very actual, it’s clear that Mazzulla was annoyed together with his workforce’s output on protection in Sport 2. He’s proper, — Boston was overwhelmed down the ground time after time in a recreation the place stops have been already coming few and much between. Indiana outscored the hosts 66-48 within the paint and 18-4 in fastbreak factors, together with this huge slam from Thomas Bryant.
Not solely did the Pacers capitalize on simple seems to be within the paint and in transition, however they used these seems to be to diffuse any momentum that Boston was in a position to put collectively. While you’re attempting to dig your method out of a gap the way in which that the Cs have been in, these types of simple buckets make it almost not possible to take action.
Mazzulla’s workforce spent the primary half of the fourth quarter chipping away at a seven-point Pacers lead. They’d some ups and downs, however ultimately managed to chop it to only two factors with 7:38 to play.
In what felt just like the blink of a watch, the Pacers ripped off a 9-0 run to all however ice the sport, and so they did it by doing what they’d executed all evening — paint penetration and transition.
“I imply, clearly there’s loads of stuff that we gotta, gotta do higher, we gotta enhance on, and we’re gonna watch the movie, and we gotta study,” mentioned Derrick White after Boston’s sixth house lack of the yr.
Bettering from errors has been a key a part of the Celtics’ mindset for the previous yr and a half. Sometimes, it’s fairly uncommon for guys to should go to the rostrum and echo the identical “we now have to higher” message over and over. It’s sadly been a standard theme this month with the workforce dropping six of their final 13 video games.
To ensure that the Cs to work their method again into the movement of issues, they’re going to should refind “aggressive pleasure.”
“I imply, it’s simply good to know like it is a recreation that we received to have enjoyable with,” White added. “Clearly, we wish to play at a excessive degree, however when we now have that pleasure, that aggressive pleasure that we speak about (that’s after we’re at our greatest). Simply having enjoyable taking part in the sport sharing the ball, and making the appropriate learn. Some instances are powerful, it’s sort of such as you’re working uphill. However, we’ve simply gotta get again to only having that pleasure.”
Boston could have an opportunity to finish 2024 with a win once they host the Toronto Raptors on New 12 months’s Eve. Maybe, they’ll end with some aggressive pleasure.
