TD Backyard was leaping as Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder wing Aaron Wiggins airballed a last-second three-point try to finish Wednesday’s third quarter. Boston Celtics followers had simply watched their staff erase a 12-point deficit after ripping off an 18-6 run heading into the fourth quarter.
Issues have been trying up. It was the primary time that the Cs have been in a position to get stops and baskets on the similar time.
It was additionally the final.
There wasn’t any level within the fourth quarter when it felt like Boston was in management. They began the quarter by matching OKC’s buckets however did not get key stops to construct any momentum.
The Celtics tied the sport at 98 with 8:12 to go and scored 4 factors over the subsequent six minutes, because the Thunder constructed a double-digit lead and put the sport out of attain.
It was a disappointing finish to an total profitable homestand. Over the Cs’ seven video games at TD Backyard, they managed to win 5. Their solely two losses have been February 28 in opposition to the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers and, after all, Wednesday in opposition to first-place OKC.
There’s no disgrace in shedding to the highest two groups within the league. They’re the place they’re at for a cause.
What there may be disgrace in is the best way the Celtics performed within the fourth quarters of those video games, even within the wins.
Briefly, they weren’t good.
They have been truly the worst.
During the last seven video games, no staff within the NBA has a worse fourth-quarter web score than your Boston Celtics at -32.7. They’ve had the league’s worst protection (140.4 drtg) and a bottom-5 offense (108.3 ortg) to assist get them to that time.
For context, the Celtics have an offensive score of 119.1 and a defensive score of 110.3 this season as an entire. So, they haven’t been themselves on the finish of video games currently, to say the very least.
The league-worst web score is a little bit skewed since a number of of their video games have been determined by the point the fourth quarter rolled round, however they nonetheless solely managed to comfortably win one among these video games, which was their ultimate assembly in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers.
This iteration of the Sixers would possibly’ve been the worst opponent of the seven right here. Philly was with out Joel Embiid (after all), Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George. Kelly Oubre was their main shot-taker. There isn’t a cause why they need to’ve had any subject successful this one — and so they didn’t.
Good job, Celts.
Even in that outing, they nonetheless didn’t dominate the fourth quarter. They solely tied it, which, in equity, is all they wanted to do.
Boston solely outscored an opponent as soon as within the fourth quarter in the course of the current slate of dwelling video games, of their win over the Denver Nuggets. This was the primary time that the Cs beat Denver in a recreation the place Nikola Jokic performed since 2022.
The win was spectacular, and the execution was much better than it was of their prior assembly with Jokic in January of 2024.
No complaints.
That is the half the place the fourth quarters worsen.
We already talked in regards to the subpar play from the OKC loss, so we are able to skip that one. Though, that’s the solely time that Boston misplaced a fourth quarter by lower than 10 factors, even in video games they gained.
“Our defensive rebounding and a few of our defensive tendencies,” Mazzulla mentioned postgame of what he’d wish to see enhance in fourth quarters.
If you wish to take a look at poor protection, look no additional than Monday’s win over the Utah Jazz. Utah is at the moment the one staff within the league that has been eradicated from playoff rivalry. Very like the 76ers, they have been a staff that the Celtics have been presupposed to beat, which they did.
They nearly didn’t.
Boston noticed a 23-point lead disappear within the fourth quarter, because the Jazz sank eight of their 9 three-point makes an attempt to rally again to tie. I’m not going to embed the entire clips right here, however what I can let you know is that these threes weren’t tightly contested. Boston constantly obtained caught on pindown screens, leading to open appears to be like for guys like Brice Sensabaugh.
Sensabaugh, who Charles Barkely would seemingly battle to call “Who He Play For?,” sank 5 of Utah’s eight triples on this stretch.
For what it’s price, I don’t suppose that is the kind of recreation the place your blood stress ought to spike as a result of the Jazz obtained scorching. They’d spent the whole recreation firing photographs off the rim. You’ll be able to’t blame the Cs for daring them to stick with it.
The near-collapse in opposition to Utah was eerily much like what occurred in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Path Blazers. The recipes for disappointment have been almost similar.
Each L.A. (65/50 splits) and Portland (62.9/55.6 splits) had sturdy taking pictures quarters. The protection from the Celtics didn’t essentially regress — their opponents simply began hitting photographs.
There have been some open photographs blended in, too, however these are the kind of appears to be like you simply must reside with.
What killed the Celtics right here was their very own chilly taking pictures (41.2/28.6 vs L.A., 41.7/16.7 vs. POR). In these video games particularly, it didn’t really feel like their shot high quality dropped off in any respect. They didn’t get impatient and stored creating first rate appears to be like as they’d for the remainder of every recreation.
They simply didn’t fall.
There was loads mentioned in regards to the loss to the Cavs when it occurred, as is to be anticipated after a loss. It’s simply how this all works. Cleveland obtained to the end line behind an absolute burner from Donovan Mitchell. He completed the evening with 41 factors, and Boston seemingly had no reply for him.
What was irritating, as Mazzulla alluded to on Wednesday, was the excess of second possibilities Evan Mobley was in a position to create on the offensive glass. Although these rebounds didn’t immediately translate to factors, the Celtics nonetheless needed to defend for an additional 14 seconds at a time due to them. The extra vitality you expend on protection, the much less you’ve obtained on the offensive finish.
What all of us witnessed over the previous 12 days was definitely excessive. The Celtics aren’t THAT unhealthy within the fourth quarter, proper?
Properly, I wouldn’t say they’ve been good. This season, their fourth-quarter web score is -2. Final yr, it was +7. Boston has dropped some head-scratching video games all through the 2024-25 marketing campaign and will serve to tighten issues up down the stretch.
There’ll at all times be moments the place you simply have to take a seat again and watch Brice Sensabaugh drill 5 threes or see Luka Doncic financial institution in a loopy one from the sideline.
It occurs.
And once more, the Celtics nonetheless managed to win video games despite these lapses. It may be carried out. That doesn’t imply that they shouldn’t look to take extra management in a few of these areas. As Mazzulla talked about, they’ll at all times management their effort on the glass, in addition to be sure that they continue to be centered on getting key stops.
