Jaylen Brown didn’t mince any phrases.
Moments after the Celtics had simply been run off the ground in embarrassing trend, dropping 150-117 to the Thunder (who didn’t even have star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), Brown was requested what precisely had simply occurred in Oklahoma City.
“We got our ass kicked. That’s what happened,” Brown instructed reporters in OKC. “You come out, you take it for granted, that’s what happens. We probably had it coming to us.”
The Celtics don’t appear overly involved. They nonetheless boast the NBA’s report, and it’s nonetheless simply January. But for the second time within the final month, they’re being confronted with one other check of adversity and being requested to give you a response that would go a good distance of their pursuit of a championship.
After dropping 5 of six video games throughout a tough stretch in December, the Celtics responded with 4 consecutive wins that included large victories over the Bucks and Clippers, two championship contenders. But these good vibes have dissipated with two discouraging losses to begin 2023.
Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets might be excused to a level. Led by two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, they’re No. 1 within the West and one other title contender. But Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder was not excusable. The Celtics, in accordance with interim head coach Joe Mazzulla, have been outplayed in “every aspect of the game” as Oklahoma City’s solid of unproven children – with out Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 30.8 factors per sport ranks fifth within the NBA – acquired something they needed. The 150 factors allowed have been the second-most in franchise historical past.
It actually appeared like Brown sensed a efficiency like this coming. After Sunday’s loss in Denver, the Celtics star mentioned he was “preparing myself physically and mentally for a rough first game (of the road trip), knowing that the altitude, long flight and New Year’s celebration and all of that can be in account,” suggesting that the staff wouldn’t be fully locked in for the sport. Then, Tuesday’s embarrassing effort unfolded. Afterwards, Malcolm Brogdon admitted to the Globe that when the Celtics discovered Gilgeous-Alexander was out, “we took a deep breath and relaxed.”
“We came out the last couple games, we pick and choose when we want to play,” Brown instructed reporters. “We weren’t related, didn’t have one another’s again on the market, no assist aspect protection, we didn’t guard our yard. Those younger boys over there got here out and so they made us look unhealthy. They embarrassed us. They kicked our ass. That’s what occurred. …
“It just seemed that, for whatever reason, we let go of the rope completely, which we haven’t seen from our team in a long time.”
This appears to be the following step of development for the Celtics. For as spectacular as final season’s run to the NBA Finals was, and the way good they’ve been for almost all of this season, they’ve been liable to nights like this not too long ago towards inferior groups. It occurred with back-to-back losses towards the Magic, then a loss to the Pacers, final month. The Celtics know they’re good, however have seemingly develop into so assured that they really feel like they’ll win sure video games simply by exhibiting up.
“It’s just a maturity, mindset thing,” Brown instructed reporters. “You can’t come out and anticipate groups to simply give it to you. We’ve been saying like, it’s a must to anticipate groups’ finest pictures. Of course. That’s precisely what’s taking place. Teams are popping out, they’re prepared, they’re amped to play and we’re pondering we’re simply going to walk out and simply determine it out down the road from A to Z. …
“Any given night, the game can be different. Every game is its own story. Regardless of what happened last game for us or what happened last game for them, they came out ready to play tonight,” Brown continued. “That’s the beautiful thing about basketball. Who cares about what your name is? You have to live up to it every single night. You have to be the Boston Celtics every single night. That’s a great honor. So, tonight we let everybody down because we let the rope go, and we just let them embarrass us. That was the most discouraging part for me because I haven’t seen that from us in a long time.”
The Celtics aren’t overreacting to at least one sport. Mazzulla, a number of occasions, in contrast Tuesday’s loss to final month’s dominant win over the Suns to make a degree about how unstable issues will be within the NBA, and the way his staff must develop extra humility. But they comprehend it’s necessary to reply to one other check of adversity, identical to they did a couple of weeks in the past.
“We have to get this (expletive) back right,” Brown mentioned. “And we’ll. It’s part of the journey, however I believe we had that one coming to us, if you happen to ask me. …
“We casually stroll into games sometimes thinking we’re just going to figure it out as we get to the middle of the game. No, you have to come out ready from the jump. I guess humility is attached to that, that we expect ourselves to win. That’s not bad, but you have to play like that expectation, and tonight we just weren’t connected, we didn’t communicate, we didn’t have each other’s back out there. I think getting your ass kicked is a way to wake up, for sure.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com