The Celtics’ at full energy, with probably the most proficient beginning 5 within the NBA, appeared almost unbeatable via the primary two months of the season. But even the perfect can’t be excellent each night time.
On an evening that they appeared largely out of kinds, the Celtics discovered a technique to make issues fascinating within the remaining minute after a livid fourth-quarter comeback. But it was too little, too late in a 127-121 loss to the surging Thunder in Oklahoma City, snapping the Celtics’ six-game successful streak.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 34 factors and Jayson Tatum added 30, however Jaylen Brown went simply 4-for-17 on a foul capturing night time. The Celtics’ protection wasn’t almost ok. A poor third quarter – by which they let the Thunder rating 40 factors – was finally their downfall. The Celtics had no solutions for Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who was almost unstoppable as he erupted for 36 factors. When the C’s made a couple of runs late, the Thunder had each reply.
“Can’t have a 40-point quarter against a team like that,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla advised reporters in Oklahoma City. “They put pressure on you the entire game, so you have to have a high level of defensive activity, connectivity to make multiple efforts the entire game.”
The Celtics at the moment are 15-2 when at full energy this season, with the losses coming to the 76ers and now the Thunder, who’re shocking the NBA with the second-best document within the Western Conference.
The C’s actually had no enterprise making this a one-possession sport within the remaining minute. The Thunder had their means with them within the third quarter. Josh Giddey was unusually scorching from 3-point distance. Gilgeous-Alexander, although he had 4 fouls early within the third, received the whole lot he wished and the Thunder have been dominating the Celtics in transition and within the paint.
The Celtics, who led by three at halftime, discovered themselves in a 12-point gap getting into the fourth after that third quarter. Though the C’s have been significantly better within the third as of late, that interval price them. Mazzulla thought the genesis of it got here offensively.
“I thought we missed a lot of layups,” he stated. “We got the ball around the rim and didn’t finish through contact, which allowed them to get out in transition.”
It appeared like the sport was over throughout the first two minutes of the fourth. With Gilgeous-Alexander and rookie sensation Chet Holmgren on the bench, the Thunder pushed their result in 16 with a Cason Wallace 3-pointer. The Celtics have been messy, with turnovers resulting in factors the opposite means.
But regardless of happening by 18, the Celtics didn’t give up. Though they have been being completely outplayed for many of the night time, it nonetheless appeared like they’d one run in them.
Derrick White ignited a 10-2 run that reduce the Celtics’ deficit to eight when he discovered Tatum for an alley-oop with 5:09 to go. Holmgren responded with a back-breaking triple, however the Celtics stored pushing. They reduce it to 6 with 2:28 to go when Brown was fouled arduous on a dunk try and made two free throws. Holmgren replied with one other 3-pointer, however Porzingis’ three-point lead reduce it again to 6.
The Celtics trailed by seven with 1:19 to go, however after two Tatum free throws and a defensive cease, White drained a ridiculous rainbow 3-pointer from the nook to chop Oklahoma City’s result in two with 41 seconds left. But the C’s couldn’t get a cease once they wanted one, as Jalen Williams attacked Tatum within the paint and made a floater to revive the result in 4.
Porzingis was fouled with 15 seconds left and made two free throws earlier than Giddey hit two free throws with 12 seconds left. On the following possession, Tatum discovered Porzingis broad open within the nook and hit what seemed to be a 3-pointer to chop the deficit to 1. But though he took a second to set himself earlier than capturing it, it was dominated Porzingis’ toe was on the road for a two-pointer. Two Gilgeous-Alexander free throws with three seconds to go sealed it.
Other notes and takeaways:
– Mazzulla went with a unique look down the stretch within the fourth quarter, which helped the Celtics come again. Jrue Holiday, who was getting torched by Gilgeous-Alexander, was not on the ground to finish the sport, and neither was Al Horford. Instead, Payton Pritchard performed the whole lot of the fourth quarter and the small guard ignited the C’s defensively.
“Good ball pressure, good physicality,” Mazzulla stated. “Just brought a level of physicality to the game defensively and then spacing on offense, so I thought his presence helped us get back in the game.”
– White left the sport with 5:20 remaining within the first quarter after bumping heads with Gilgeous-Alexander as he began bleeding above his left eye. In one other instance of the guard’s worth, the C’s trailed by as many as 9 earlier than he returned with 8:30 remaining within the second. According to NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin, White wanted 4 stitches and glue to restore the reduce above his eye.
It was most likely no coincidence the Celtics instantly went on a 9-1 run to tie the sport upon White’s return.
– That run was spurred by Porzingis, who had a large first half. With the Celtics trailing 41-34, he produced back-to-back blocks, each resulting in Brown pushing the tempo in transition and getting fouled each occasions. At 41-38, White interrupted an alley-oop try by the Thunder in transition, and that led to Pritchard’s game-tying 3-pointer from the nook.
Porzingis had a extremely efficient first half. With Tatum and Brown having gradual begins, the massive man scored 18 factors on 7-for-9 capturing to maintain the Celtics hanging round. Then, after Tatum and Brown began the sport a mixed 1-for-9 from the sector, the duo mixed to attain 11 factors over the ultimate 2:30 of the second to offer the Celtics a 61-58 halftime lead.
Source: www.bostonherald.com