It was the long-awaited, much-anticipated matchup marked on Jayson Tatum’s calendar — no less than it ought to’ve been — but it surely didn’t dwell as much as the hype. The Boston Celtics couldn’t overcome an uncharacteristic first-half slip-up in Wednesday night time’s 118-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors at TD Backyard.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr energized the TD Backyard crowd; nonetheless, a lackluster first-half Celtics offense drained it shortly. Boston dedicated 10 turnovers, shot 35.1% from the sector, missed 14 whole 3-pointers, and entered halftime trailing Golden State, 51-40. Granted that’s a double-sided coin. On the one hand, Boston’s protection was efficient in preserving the Warriors at bay, however alternatively, the offense produced its weakest single-quarter efficiency (but) within the second body (16 factors).
The Celtics, struggling their first loss at dwelling this season and the primary since Sport 2 of the Japanese Convention semifinals over 5 months in the past, didn’t make any excuses when wanting again on the general missed alternative.
“They have been blitzing us, took us out of our rhythm, after which after that, we began making the straightforward two-side cross, and it opened issues up,” Payton Pritchard advised reporters postgame, per NBC Sports activities Boston. “However we simply acquired extra bodily and dealt with their stress extra. … We weren’t bodily sufficient with the ball. We had plenty of turnovers and stuff like that which led to them getting out and stuff like that. So it’s simply being robust with (the ball).”
Pritchard had been off to a red-hot begin himself, coming into a untimely Sixth Man of the 12 months candidacy dialogue, but additionally couldn’t get it going early. He was held 0-for-4 from 3-point vary by Golden State’s protection, which is often Pritchard’s scoring sanctuary. With out it, the 6-foot-1 guard turns into an offensive legal responsibility and that was the case till the pendulum started swinging Boston’s means, first via its 41-point third quarter.
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Tatum tapped into his Kerr-fueled motivation, too, ending as the sport’s main scorer with a 32-point efficiency on 10-of-20 taking pictures. Boston took a four-point lead with 5:04 minutes left to play within the fourth quarter, but didn’t stick with it. In these last minutes, Golden State grabbed 4 offensive rebounds — ending with 15 whole — and made the Celtics pay a hefty worth as soon as Tatum took his eye off Warriors sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who sunk the clutch three to place Golden State forward, 111-104, with 46.3 seconds left. That was the early finish to Boston’s semi-valiant comeback bid.
“Kevon Looney, did he have what? Two putbacks? Three putbacks?” Pritchard stated, per NBC Sports activities Boston. “Buddy Hield, we left him open on the open three so it’s simply the little issues that we’re gonna look again at and be upset in ourselves as a result of we undoubtedly may’ve managed the result. … We’ll study from it and get higher from it.”
The reigning champions misplaced solely 4 instances at dwelling final season. Granted, even with an virtually utterly similar roster — Boston misplaced Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett to free company within the offseason — the circumstances are totally different.
Jaylen Brown missed a 3rd straight look as a consequence of a hip flexor damage, plus Kristaps Porzingis, who may return in December, has but to swimsuit up. With out Porzingis, eight months in the past, Boston blew Golden State out of the water in final season’s 140-88 thrashing at TD Backyard.
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Shifting ahead, the Celtics can solely tweak the place vital and switch the web page with now two (very) preventable losses logged via their first 9 video games.
“I feel we did an incredible job responding to their physicality,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla stated, as seen on NBC Sports activities Boston’s postgame protection. “Anytime two good groups play collectively, it comes right down to the main points on the finish of the day and I feel they executed a bit of bit higher than we did. I assumed our execution was higher (within the second half). Our spacing was higher, we discovered the reads quicker and we have been simply as bodily on offense as we have been on protection. … We gave up three offensive rebounds and missed Buddy Hield on an open three, and simply the small particulars on the open flooring.”
Boston has the Brooklyn Nets subsequent up on Friday night time.
