Celtics’ loss to Warriors exposed three trouble spots that need fixing

Celtics’ loss to Warriors exposed three trouble spots that need fixing

Here’s the evidence that the Celtics this year are “different”:

they recently defeated the upstart Magic in a back-to-back,

and then thrashed the Bulls to briefly avoid elimination from the In-Season Tournament.

That’s about it. Otherwise? The tune doesn’t change.

The C’s aren’t there yet,

as evidenced by their tormentors’ latest demonstration of the

distinction between frontrunning and closing on Tuesday night at Golden State.

The Celtics are capable of blowing any lead.

But winning games demands a killer instinct,

and the Celtics displayed the same annoying tendencies that

have dogged them for years during a 132-126 overtime loss.

As they played to win, their offence stalled, to borrow our Eddie House’s words.

They failed to convert a deluge of 3-pointers.

They stymied positions, gave up on two of the best shooters of all time due to defensive lapses.

Their chances of winning the game were extremely low % and utterly uninspired.

They were unable to match Golden State’s ferocity.

This year’s defeat was not quite as devastating as the Bay’s rout from the previous season,

but it still raises concerns about their ability to handle postseason pressure in the spring,

which is all that matters to us.

They’re still a fantastic club at 20-6,

but will they be able to defeat the Bucks in the East or the Nuggets,

the reigning champions in the West?

We still don’t have the answers to those queries.

Here are the three main areas of concern from Tuesday’s defeat in the interim.

1. Offence during crunch period

The method is still the same, even though the faces could change.

The Celtics have an annoying habit of turning from cheetahs to tortoises

when they hold a double-digit lead against a respectable opponent,

and they did it again on Tuesday night.

Not surprisingly, nor recently, but their offence is most effective when they stroll the ball up the floor,

or worse, roll it. Despite this, it continues to occur.

Walk it up, execute dribble handoffs 30 feet from the hoop while the defence aggressively extends,

and force up something contested late in the shot clock without

ever touching the paint are the standard possession looks.

It was difficult to overlook the contrast between

the Celtics hesitating close to the logo on one end and Steph Curry,

Mr. Perpetual Motion, scorching them on the other.

Playing to win always leads to that precise result.

2. Bombs away, bombs away, bombs away

It makes no sense to lament the 3-pointer’s excessive importance in the team’s offensive strategy because it isn’t going away. That’s the NBA of today.

On a night when they were getting almost everything they wanted around the rim and on the attack,

did they really need to miss forty-one of them?

It’s a persistent misconception that any open 3-pointer, regardless of who attempts it or when,

is a good shot. But is that truly the case?

Using seven layups and one 3-pointer in the third quarter,

the Celtics extended their lead to 17 points.

Sam Hauser had a terrible shooting night, missing four straight threes,

and Payton Pritchard walked out of bounds on the one that did go in,

so they blew it in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics missed six straight shots from beyond

the arc between Derrick White’s game-tying three-pointer in

the final two minutes of regulation and Al Horford’s desperate attempt

that narrowed the advantage to one in the final seconds of overtime.

A few frigid nights might send you home for the summer when a

big percentage of your offence comes from low-percentage shots.

If they had no other choice than to play that manner, it would be one thing.

However, the NBA’s top rim finishers and transition scorers are Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics have better options than tossing in every open three, especially with Kristaps Porzingis healthy.

3. Equipping intensity to intensity

Even if the Warriors are getting older,

their record is below.500, and they are in disarray due to Draymond,

but in the last moments,

they had access to another gear.

Conversely, the Celtics found it difficult to react.

It’s the reason they were bounced from the In-Season Tournament,

the only other game until Tuesday night’s playoff-caliber contest,

and it’s also the reason they lost in overtime in Minnesota and Charlotte.

They also withered in Indiana during that tournament.

Stars from the Warriors stood up. Before it mattered,

Chris Paul appeared to be in poor health. He scored all nine of his points in the last 20 minutes.

Klay Thompson concluded with 24 points while constantly moving to get 3-pointers.

Not to mention, even though Curry picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter,

he still dominated the game and scored 33 points,

including the game-winning dagger three.

Tatum and Brown both missed layups as the Celtics played tight down the stretch,

with Tatum appearing especially constrained by the left ankle sprain he had for the most of the game.

When the pressure mounts, the Celtics consistently appear

unprepared against championship-caliber opponents,

whether it was the Heat in the Bubble,

the Warriors in the Finals, the Warriors last year,

or the Warriors last night. This must change,

lest the chase of Banner 18 become an unending endeavour.

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