The Celtics For Three...straight losses
Poor shooting, shoddy perimeter defense were just a couple of the areas in which the Celtics struggled mightily in dropping their third straight game and are now 3 games below-.500
Boston loses its third straight game and do so in large part because of the team's inability to make 3's.
There will certainly be folks who will find a silver lining in what they did against the Clippers.
But that song is getting old; real old.
And the optimism of a turn-around is getting harder and harder to envision based on their poor play.
Of course, health and safety protocol problems are part of the issue. But it's an issue all teams are dealing with in some capacity, which makes it worthless as an explanation for the team's struggles.
And just like that, Boston now finds itself three games below-.500 following Wednesday’s 91-82 loss to the Clippers.
Boston had its moments, with one opportunity after another presented itself for them to take over.
But those opportunities, one after another, were squandered with a turnover or an ill-advised shot or from time to time, a good play made by the Clippers.
And the schedule to close out 2021 doesn’t get any easier with the Phoenix Suns coming to town for a New Year’s Eve matchup.
On Wednesday, the first half was a tale of Boston Celtics basketball, past (Marcus Morris Sr.) and present (Jaylen Brown) at work.
Morris, who spent two seasons (2017-2019) in Boston, was a major factor in the Clippers playing with a lead that ballooned to as many as 10 points in the first half.
But getting Boston back into the game was Jaylen Brown who had 17 of his game-high 30 points in the first half.
A silver lining perhaps?
Not really; not when you see he scored 30 points on 36 shot attempts.
Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from the Celtics’ loss.
STARS
Marcus Morris Sr.: During his time in Boston, Marcus Morris never lacked for confidence. Now an opportunity to showcase his skills? That’s another story. He has that now with a number of Clippers out with injuries or in the league’s health and safety protocol program. And to Morris’ credit, he has made the most of his opportunity to be more of a go-to player for the Clippers. With a mix of mid-range jumpers and dribble-drives to the basket, Morris barely broke a sweat in scoring a team-high 23 points on 9-for-21 shooting.
Jaylen Brown: He struggled with his 3-point shot most of the game, but there was little doubt about who the Celtics were going to lean on for the bulk of their offensive output. Brown led all players with 30 points on 13-FOR-36 shooting from the field to go with eight rebounds.
STUDS
Terance Mann: The Lowell, Massachusetts native showcased the kind of versatility that has made him an integral part of the Ciippers rotation, whether it be as a fill-in starter or a spark off the bench. In the starting lineup on Wednesday, Mann had 17 points to go with five rebounds and three assists as well as making some heady plays defensively like drawing a charge against Jaylen Brown with less than a minute to play in the third quarter. The turnover led to a Clippers 3-pointer.
Robert Williams III: This was a good-energy game for Time Lord, displaying a high level of activity defensively as well as on the offensive boards. He finished with his ninth double-double of the season, with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Luke Kennard: Arguably the best shooter on the floor for either team, Kennard deftly used a variety of down-screens to get just enough freedom to get off 3-pointers. He would finish the game with 17 points which included 5-for-10 from beyond the 3-point line.
DUDS
Celtics’ perimeter defense: Luke Kennard wasn’t the only one lighting up the Celtics from outside the paint. For most of the game, the Clippers simply took what the Celtics defense gave them. Los Angeles would attack Boston’s defense by driving into the heart of the Celtics’ defense, only to kick it out to what was usually a wide-open Clippers player hanging out behind the 3-point line.
Celtics’ 3-point shooting: There was a sequence in the fourth quarter with about five minutes to play, when the Celtics passed up multiple lay-ups to instead attempt 3-pointers. Those 3-point shots, like most of Boston’s attempts from long range, were off the mark. For the game, Boston missed 38 of their 42 attempts from 3-point range.