Before he started his second season as Celtics coach, Joe Mazzulla thought it was vital for his staff to have an identification. Among the phrases he used to explain that identification had been “mindset” and “toughness.”
Those traits had been lacking in a number of moments final season, and got here again to hang-out them throughout vital occasions within the playoffs. The Celtics, too usually, let go of the rope. There had been a number of occasions once they misplaced their focus. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat had been more durable and extra disciplined. The Celtics didn’t have a constant mindset, particularly in crunch time.
Through the primary a number of weeks of this season, the Celtics’ mindset appeared to show a nook. They weren’t underestimating opponents. They responded to adversity properly and had been the more durable staff in crunch time as they saved a degree focus.
But that mindset has regressed in latest video games. As the C’s launched into a street journey in opposition to inferior opponents, human nature took over. They misplaced their focus throughout stretches in opposition to the Raptors and Grizzlies, and although they nonetheless managed to seek out victories in these video games, they revealed some cracks. Mazzulla wasn’t completely satisfied in regards to the win in Memphis and stated the Celtics didn’t deserve the victory. An evening later, the dam broke in a brutal time beyond regulation loss to the Hornets by which they coughed up a nine-point lead with two minutes left in regulation.
The Celtics nonetheless boast the very best report within the NBA, however this stretch has been their worst of the season as their dangerous habits have returned, even with a new-look roster. It represents their first actual take a look at of adversity as they construct the identification that Mazzulla is making an attempt to create.
“I can’t have the expectation of perfection that we’re always going to play well,” Mazzulla advised reporters Sunday night time in Memphis. “It’s not actuality. There are 82 of these items. …
“It’s easy to lump the group of guys that we have coming back as like, they’ve been around, but every team needs to learn different things and go through different stuff, and it’s easy to say you want to be a certain type of team, and then it just gets harder and harder to live that way. And so, the standard is very high for us. The guys in the locker room set a high standard for themselves, and we’re not always going to meet it. So I understand why a game is going to go like this. It’s not going to be the only time, but I don’t have to be happy about it.”
As Mazzulla alluded, it’s an extended season and it gained’t look good each night time. It’s straightforward for a staff just like the Celtics to lose its edge in November video games in opposition to inferior opponents. But it’s additionally an vital stretch to study from as they construct good habits that can profit them in the long term. To their credit score, the gamers appear to know that.
“We’re talented, and because of that sometimes you can win games just based off of that,” Kristaps Porzingis advised reporters in Charlotte. “We don’t want to become that. We want to be a team that shows up and plays the same way no matter who we’re playing against. And that’s still a work in progress, of course.”
NBA admits error
The league’s Last 2-Minute Report on Tuesday confirmed a mistake that value the Celtics on the finish of time beyond regulation of their loss to the Hornets.
After Jayson Tatum’s game-tying free throw missed, Miles Bridges corralled the rebound and was fouled by Jrue Holiday with 3.2 seconds remaining. But the clock saved working and the officers didn’t discover. Instead, the clock stopped with 1.7 seconds remaining.
The Celtics observed that the clock continued to run and tried to get the officers to take a look at it, however there was no evaluation. The Hornets proceeded to inbound the ball once more as a result of they weren’t within the penalty but, and Gordon Hayward was then fouled with 0.8 seconds remaining. After Hayward made two free throws to provide the Hornets a three-point lead, there was little time for the Celtics to get a superb shot. They in the end didn’t take a shot as Bridges intercepted the following inbounds go to clinch Charlotte’s victory.
The league admitted there ought to have been extra time on the clock.
“Although the foul is called with 3.2 seconds remaining on the game clock, the clock continues to run to 01.7 and it is not recognized by the officials,” the league’s report stated.
That additional 1.5 seconds would have actually been priceless for the Celtics as they tried a game-tying shot on the ultimate play.
“I thought too much time came off the clock, but I guess they couldn’t go back and look at it,” Tatum advised reporters. “I don’t know.” …
The Celtics didn’t listing anybody on the harm report for Wednesday’s sport in opposition to the Bucks, which implies Derrick White (private causes) and Al Horford (relaxation) are set to return for the marquee matchup.
Source: www.bostonherald.com