BOSTON — It’s solely been 12 video games, however the Celtics are starting to unveil their vulnerabilities and it price them a victorious begin to their Emirates NBA Cup run as TD Backyard’s clover inexperienced parquet was something however fortunate.
Atlanta’s struggling-to-fly Hawks paid Boston a go to with out the help of three-time All-Star Trae Younger, De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and three others — two of their three scoring leaders — however none of it mattered. Quin Synder’s undermanned Atlanta squad soared to offer the Celtics a humbling awakening to only how low Boston’s premature flaws may drag the defending champs.
The Hawks defeated the Celtics, 117-116, surprisingly, via an unmatched will to go the additional mile regardless of an general undisciplined 4 quarters of basketball — Boston and Atlanta mixed to commit 35 turnovers. By the fourth quarter’s ultimate buzzer, all of the Celtics may do was cling their heads in remorse and agony.
“They performed tougher and so they performed extra bodily than we did, and so they obtained 20 offensive rebounds and compelled us into 20 turnovers,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “You let a workforce outshoot you within the shot margin like that and also you’re not gonna win.”
Mazzulla added: “We obtained cross-matched on them a couple of occasions however they obtained rebounds and layups on all people — large, small, medium. So, they only outplayed us on each ends of the ground.”
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Boston took a modest 31-29 result in the second quarter, which set the tone for the overarching theme of its tournament-commencing matchup; physicality, self-discipline and depth had been the three deciding elements. The Celtics collected simply six offensive rebounds to Atlanta’s 20, which accounted for 18 second-chance factors from the Hawks. Boston’s 20 turnovers, if something, made the inches-close ultimate rating spectacular for the Celtics, however spoke volumes to a problem in want of alleviation. In the meantime, the reserve unit gave Mazzulla completely nothing from begin to end.
Payton Pritchard, an early Sixth Man of the Yr candidate, and Sam Hauser, Boston’s go-to off-the-bench sharpshooter, mixed to attain simply 9 factors.
“They simply had been extra aggressive and located a option to get each 50-50 ball, it appeared like, and simply needed it a bit of bit extra,” Derrick White mentioned. “… It’s probably not like us to come back out and need to query our readiness, particularly with the group we’ve.”
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum had been liable for 11 turnovers mixed. Boston’s star duo pitched in 57 factors, but additionally shot simply 5-of-15 from 3-point vary whereas Brown missed 4 free-throw makes an attempt — together with three within the fourth quarter. Even with a possibility to make up for his or her many shortcomings with the ultimate possession, Boston got here up quick to encapsulate an evening crammed with frustration and confusion.
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Granted, it’s early however groups within the Jap Convention — the Philadelphia 76ers (2-8), Milwaukee Bucks (3-8) and New York Knicks (5-5) — have skilled first-hand how damaging a winter-cold begin may be to a workforce. Boston not often skilled that final season, conserving each (uncommon) dropping skit to no larger than two video games.
“Protection, setting the tone, physicality, too many layups,” Brown defined. “I believe we guarded the 3-point line properly. Simply physicality — switching, rebounding. Stuff like that that we gotta, night time to nighttime, we gotta be nice at. Tonight we wasn’t. … Mentally, we simply was too careless tonight. We anticipated the win. Too careless, and it confirmed.”
Boston dropped to 9-3 on the season, nonetheless solely trailing the undefeated (12-0) Cleveland Cavaliers for the lead within the East. There’s nonetheless loads of time, particularly with out Kristaps Porzingis, which means the Celtics have loads of leeway to reside and be taught from their miscues because the season strikes on.
“That is a part of the journey, however we obtained some stuff to scrub up,” Brown mentioned. “We’re not an ideal workforce. It’s a brand new season. It’s a brand new journey and we’re trying ahead to embracing these moments.”
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