The Celtics have spent more nights than they would have liked this season trying to explain puzzling losses against teams they should be handling without great difficulty. They have acknowledged that their effort needs to improve. They have said they need to be more engaged. They say they need to be more consistent.
And then the next game arrives, and the results and the explanations do not seem to change very much.
On Friday the Kings, who entered the night in 12th place in the Western Conference, stomped into TD Garden and became the latest opponent to leave the Celtics searching for answers, as they grabbed a 107-96 victory. It was the Celtics’ fourth loss in their last five games, and it once again dropped them below .500 on the season, at 20-21.
“I think we need to be more engaged in each other, and I think that teams are fragile things,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Guys are trying, and they are all really good guys trying, but sometimes even when you’re giving good effort, or you have a group of possessions that go pretty well, five guys engaged does a lot, and we just haven’t had that recently. And that’s concerning.”
The Celtics trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half but shot 68.1 percent from the field in the third quarter and took an 87-86 lead — their first since early in the first quarter — on a Grant Williams 3-pointer with 7:31 left in the game.
But Sacramento pushed back in front and had a sideline inbounds with just 1.2 second left on the shot clock when center Richaun Holmes (25 points, 11 rebounds) caught a pass at the top of the key and banked in a 3-pointer that made it 95-91 with 3:31 left. The Kings finished off Boston with an 8-0 run that was capped by a 3-point play by De’Aaron Fox, who had 29 points.
Observations from the game:
▪ The Celtics’ inability to close games resurfaced Friday. After erupting for 36 points in the third quarter they were held to just 15 in the fourth, when they connected on 6 of 21 shots. The Kings closed the game with a 12-3 run.
“As a group in the fourth quarter, we’ve fallen apart a lot of times,” forward Jaylen Brown said. “Lot of games that we were in and things like that that we could’ve won, we didn’t for whatever reason mentally or physically or however you want to draw it up. Fourth quarter is supposed to be winning time and it’s been a time that we haven’t been absolutely together.”
▪ The Celtics tied a franchise low by attempting just four free throws in their loss to the Jazz Tuesday, and Friday they took just seven.
“I do think that we probably should be a little bit more aggressive getting to the basket. We’ve just got to find a way to draw some fouls,” Kemba Walker said.
▪ This felt like the kind of game the Celtics would usually start with a powerful punch. They’d lost three of four, they were back home, Walker was playing, and the players said all the things a reeling team needs to say about fixing what is wrong. But then the game began and Boston had its now-familiar lack of energy and effort. There were careless passes on offense, and on defense the Kings feasted inside while facing little resistance. The Celtics did not have the look of a team that was getting ready to turn its season around.
“Our energy has been flat,” Brown said. “You can see it from the TV screen, from the stands. We haven’t come out with that pop that we’re used to, or been aggressive and attacked teams like we have in the past. And it’s tough.”
▪ Walker had been very good this season when returning after sitting out the tail end of a back-to-back set, but that trend did not continue in this game. He was just 6 for 18 and is once again mired in a rather significant slump. He has not scored more than 16 points in his last five games and is 26 for 68 from the field over that span.
“Whenever I’m not on beat, whenever I’m not bringing that energy, we’re just a whole different team,” Walker said.
▪ Aaron Nesmith’s season of odd opportunity took another turn Friday. The rookie averaged more than 23 minutes per contest over a six-game stretch in February, but had played a total of just nine minutes over the past seven games, and that one stretch came during a blowout win over Houston. But on Friday, with the Celtics having a mostly healthy roster, he was the first sub off the bench. He did not make an impact, though, registering 2 points, no rebounds and no assists during a stretch of 10 minutes, 19 seconds. Nesmith also received a brief third-quarter stint. Point guard Jeff Teague and forward Semi Ojeleye did not play.
▪ With Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge sitting in the front row at TD Garden, Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes reminded the Celtics what they could be getting if they are able to orchestrate a trade for the veteran forward using the $28.5 million trade exception before Thursday’s deadline. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds. But there have been no indications this week that the Kings are looking to part with Barnes, who has two years remaining on his contract. Sacramento is now just 2½ games outside of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
▪ The emergence of Robert Williams has led some to suggest that center Tristan Thompson could be a useful trade piece prior to the deadline. But Boston’s play in its three games since Thompson was sidelined because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols provided one reason the team is unlikely to rush into any deal involving its starting center, who remains an Ainge favorite. On Friday, the Celtics could have used Thompson’s heft to battle Kings big man Holmes, who gave Boston fits inside.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
"come" - Google News
March 20, 2021 at 08:52AM
https://ift.tt/312XhMh
Desperate for a win, Celtics come out flat again in loss to Kings, and other observations - The Boston Globe
"come" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2S8UtrZ
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Desperate for a win, Celtics come out flat again in loss to Kings, and other observations - The Boston Globe"
Post a Comment