If Sunday’s win over the Warriors confirmed the Celtics at their peak, then their follow-up efficiency two nights later revealed there’s nonetheless room to develop to ensure that this group to complete the job this spring.
The Celtics seemed effectively on their strategy to one other blowout victory on Tuesday night time in Cleveland, earlier than all of it went spiraling uncontrolled. They blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead. Suddenly, a bunch that hadn’t confronted adversity in over a month discovered some. But they couldn’t overcome it. The Cavaliers’ scorching scorching end was an excessive amount of, and the Celtics’ execution waned down the stretch and in crunch time as they misplaced, 105-104, their first defeat since Feb. 1.
“Good loss for us,” Kristaps Porzingis informed reporters in Cleveland.
“I believe it’s wholesome for us. We do have a sense that we’re like, we’re going to win each recreation, we’re invincible. We’re going to win this recreation. No matter what occurs, we’re like, ‘We got this.’ Slightly little bit of that feeling is all the time there, which can be wholesome, however it’s additionally wholesome to get a loss right here and there to recalibrate a little bit bit and have that spotlight to element once more. …
“I think it’s completely fine and I think it’s necessary for us to keep building.”
Jayson Tatum scored 26 factors, however simply 4 after halftime, to steer the Celtics, whose dominant 11-game profitable streak got here to a stunning finish to a Cavaliers crew lacking star guard Donovan Mitchell. Dean Wade scored 23 factors, together with 20 within the fourth quarter, because the Cavaliers caught fireplace from deep to take the lead within the ultimate minutes, however the Celtics nonetheless had an opportunity.
The Celtics trailed by one with 19 seconds left after Wade’s go-ahead putback dunk and Tatum seemed to make a play to win the sport. Tatum dribbled the clock down and acquired a change on to the smaller Darius Garland earlier than launching a fadeaway jumper on the buzzer that missed. Garland was initially referred to as for a foul – which might have put Tatum on the line for the profitable free throws – however it was overturned after a problem. After an ensuing bounce ball at midcourt, the time ran out.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated he tried calling a timeout with 4.6 seconds left as he watched the ultimate play unfold too slowly, however the officers didn’t see it. He emphasised that the play wanted to go faster.
“Down one in that situation, you try to get a couple more possessions and we just have to get into it faster and go faster and try to extend the game,” Mazzulla informed reporters in Cleveland.
It shouldn’t have gotten to that time after the Celtics led by 22 with 9 minutes to go. ESPN’s Analytics stated the C’s had a 99.9 % probability to win. But Mazzulla thought their execution dipped, and so they began going chilly as they scored simply eight factors over an eight-minute stretch. The Cavaliers went to a smaller lineup, and the Celtics have been unable to take benefit with the same old mismatches they discover.
The Cavs proceeded to take full benefit by torching them from deep, finally going 8-for-11 within the ultimate interval. Wade made all 5 of his makes an attempt from three.
“I thought we had some really good possessions where we didn’t make the shot and then I thought we had some tough shots and credit to them,” Mazzulla informed reporters. “I thought Wade played really well and they made plays down the stretch.”
Wade hit back-to-back triples in transition to deliver the Cavs inside three. Georges Niang drilled one to tie the sport at 99, then turned to say some phrases to the Celtics bench after he capped a 28-6 run. Moments later, Wade hit a 3 to offer Cleveland a 102-99 lead with 2:34 to go.
The Celtics stayed poised beneath the immediately adversarial scenario, and positively had their probability within the ultimate minute. Trailing by two with 40 seconds left, Porzingis interrupted Garland’s alley-oop try and Jarrett Allen, then raced the opposite method and transformed a three-point play to retake the lead. On the following possession, they almost had a defensive cease after Garland missed a layup, however Wade cleaned it up with a putback dunk. The Cavs completed with 14 second-chance factors which have been a killer, however solely 4 after halftime.
The Celtics have been higher in crunch time this season than previously, however Tuesday confirmed there are nonetheless some lingering issues in these conditions that they haven’t fairly discovered fully. Their offense stalled at instances, and so they struggled on the ultimate play.
But for a crew that dominated the league during the last month throughout its 11-game profitable streak, the teachings from this loss might show extra helpful down the street than if they’d simply coasted to a different blowout victory.
“This is good,” Mazzulla stated. “Regardless of whether you win or lose, you take a look at it and a lot of good situational stuff from us, whether it was end of quarters, beginning of quarters, Wade had a great offensive rebound where if we get that it’s a different game, so it’s just small things that give us an opportunity to really work on execution.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com