Malcolm Brogdon mentioned after the Celtics’ win over the Spurs on Sunday that their aim over the ultimate stretch of the common season is to reclaim the No. 1 seed within the Eastern Conference.
Two days later, they performed like they didn’t need it, and their probabilities of grabbing the highest seed now look slim.
With a essential matchup in opposition to the first-place Bucks looming on Thursday in Milwaukee, the Celtics have been caught overlooking the lottery-bound Wizards. The C’s produced certainly one of their worst defensive performances of the season and continued their alarming theme of not getting up for inferior opponents in an unsightly 130-111 loss.
The Celtics’ probabilities of incomes the No. 1 seed aren’t fully gone, however are extremely unlikely after this loss. They fell to 2.5 video games again of the Bucks – who might push it to 3 video games on Wednesday evening in Indiana – with simply six video games remaining.
Boston regarded prefer it was turning a nook after three consecutive dominant efforts in wins over the Kings, Pacers and Spurs, however on Tuesday returned to the unhealthy habits which have summed up why the Celtics coughed up the No. 1 seed and are within the place they’re in.
“It’s not something we can overly control,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla advised reporters in Washington of his group’s pursuit of the No. 1 seed. “We might have gained this recreation and nonetheless not get the No. 1 seed. We can lose this recreation and get it. I don’t actually know the way it’s going to occur as a result of we will’t management that. Like I mentioned, we’ve been taking part in actually good basketball for a stretch of time.
“Tonight was just an off night. Very rarely has that happened to us, so we just have to continue to move on and kind of just control the things that we can.”
Jayson Tatum, who returned from a one-game absence to attain 28 factors, didn’t appear involved that the Celtics have been dropping grasp of the No. 1 seed.
“In the playoffs, you’re going to have to win games on the road at some point,” Tatum advised reporters. “Last year we beat the Bucks in Game 6 and last year we beat Miami in Game 7 on the road. At some point, you’re going to have to go on the road and get a win.”
The Wizards have been lacking their prime two gamers – Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma – however that didn’t cease them from working over the Celtics, who had no solutions defensively. Kristaps Porzingis dominated with 32 factors and Deni Avdija added 25 factors.
Tatum scored 28 factors in his return from a one-game absence and Marcus Smart stored the Celtics afloat with 4 3-pointers within the first half. But the Celtics shot simply 11-for-44 from 3-point vary and have been atrocious defensively and supplied nearly zero resistance. As photographs didn’t fall, the Wizards bought right into a rhythm in transition and tore up the C’s within the paint.
The begin was just like Sunday’s win over the Spurs, when the Celtics fell behind by eight within the second quarter however responded in dominating vogue. But there was no response on Tuesday.
“Games like that when you’re not scoring but then you’re giving up transition, it’s just hard to combat,” Mazzulla advised reporters. “We gave them life with transition defense. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against. That’s hard to stop.”
The Celtics fell behind within the first quarter and by no means regained the lead. They trailed by 13 at halftime and it solely bought worse out of the break because the Wizards ran away within the third quarter with a 35-point interval. They led by as many as 23.
“Playing from behind the whole night was tough,” Tatum advised reporters. “Obviously we have to start better. We have to learn from it. If we don’t, it’s going to be tough for us. And if we do, we’ll be fine.”
The Celtics trailed by 22 with 9:21 left within the fourth quarter when Mazzulla – who has usually been reluctant to drag starters even in blowout wins – made a complete line shift and put Grant Williams, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Mike Muscala and Luke Kornet within the recreation. That group gave the Celtics some power because it reduce the deficit to 12 nevertheless it finally proved fleeting because the Wizards pulled away once more within the ultimate minutes.
The loss might have price the Celtics the No. 1 seed, which removes some sizzle in Thursday’s highly-anticipated recreation in Milwaukee. There continues to be concern that this group can’t stand up for lesser-profile groups and produces inconsistent efforts. But No. 1 seed or not, they’re specializing in what they’ll management going into Thursday.
“Bounce back from this game,” Tatum advised reporters. “I think that’s the most important is we gotta respond. I feel like we will. We’ll play better, we’ll come out with more pop, we’ll come out with more energy, more focus. Just learn from this game, not carrying on and move on to the next one. All I care about is how we respond, and I’m sure that we will.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com