After his staff’s brutal time beyond regulation loss to the Hornets earlier this week, Kristaps Porzingis acknowledged that the Celtics will win most video games due to their expertise. But, the large man cautioned, they don’t wish to develop into a staff that depends on that. They wish to be a staff in Joe Mazzulla’s imaginative and prescient, one which exhibits up each night time with the identical mindset and energy irrespective of the opponent.
That’s nonetheless a piece in progress.
Two nights after their greatest win of the younger season over the Bucks, the Celtics fell again to earth on Friday afternoon in Orlando, the place they have been punked and bullied by the upstart Magic. They misplaced their manner over the course of a disastrous second half of their largest lack of the season, a 113-96 laugher.
The Celtics missed their probability to clinch a berth into the In-Season Tournament’s quarterfinals with a victory, however Mazzulla shall be much more involved with the troubling developments that adopted his staff in Orlando.
This was all the time going to be a troublesome recreation for the Celtics, who have been with out Jrue Holiday (ankle sprain) and misplaced Porzingis in the course of the third quarter because of calf tightness. A highway matinee recreation the day after Thanksgiving permits for excuses, however the Magic current a matchup nightmare for the Celtics, evidenced by their three victories final season. The C’s know what it takes to beat the bodily Magic and nonetheless bought bullied. They gave up 21 second-chance factors. They have been crushed within the paint. Mo Wagner – who had a profession recreation with 27 factors off the bench – and his Magic teammates had a subject day.
Jayson Tatum had 26 factors to steer the Celtics, however they fell off a cliff offensively within the second half. The C’s really held a pair of double-digit leads on this recreation, together with 62-50 with 9:41 left within the third. But then every part went mistaken for the Celtics, who missed seven consecutive photographs and appeared to let it have an effect on their protection. The Magic went on a 17-0 run to take the lead. The C’s, who didn’t rating a subject objective for almost seven minutes, didn’t have a correct counter punch because it all went sideways.
The C’s responded to take a pair of transient leads late within the third however they have been run out of the constructing within the fourth, when the Magic went on an 8-0 to begin the interval. Wagner scored 13 of his 27 factors within the first 5 minutes of the fourth because the Magic took a 14-point lead and by no means appeared again.
The Celtics scored simply 40 factors of their disastrous second half, which included an abysmal end from Jaylen Brown. The Celtics star went 4-for-5 to begin the sport in one other sizzling begin however went simply 1-for-14 within the second half, which included a number of missed layups.
Source: www.bostonherald.com