The Celtics’ humiliating loss to the Hornets on Monday night can be attributed to a number of factors. In the last minute of regulation, Jrue Holiday missed two free throws that could have won the game. At the conclusion of overtime, Jayson Tatum had a chance to tie the game, but he missed a free shot.
Without using a timeout, Joe Mazzulla watched the Hornets end regulation on a 9-0 run.The Celtics’ humiliating loss to the Hornets on Monday night can be attributed to a number of factors.
In the last minute of regulation, Jrue Holiday missed two free throws that could have won the game. At the conclusion of overtime, Jayson Tatum had a chance to tie the game, but he missed a free shot. Without using a timeout, Joe Mazzulla watched the Hornets end regulation on a 9-0 run.
While Holiday and Tatum both struggled with missed layups and free throws in crucial situations, Jaylen Brown’s play during crucial junctures in the defeat was particularly concerning. The All-Star shot just 5-of-17 for the game, missing 11 of his last 13 attempts, including a combined 1-of-6 in overtime and the fourth quarter.
Boston was playing its third game in four days at the end of a long road trip, and they were without two rotation players. It was obvious that tired legs were also a factor.
On a night like tonight, though, the process nearly counts more than the outcome when analyzing the ugly nature of Boston’s defeat. The Celtics displayed some of their old demons by blowing a nine-point advantage in
Though Holiday and Tatum both suffered with missed layups and free throws at critical moments, Jaylen Brown’s performance in those pivotal moments of the loss was especially worrisome. After missing 11 of his previous 13 shots, the All-Star finished the game with only 5 of 17 overall, including a combined 1 of 6 in overtime and the fourth quarter.
After a lengthy road trip, Boston was playing its third game in four days, and they were missing two rotation players. It was evident that fatigued legs played a role as well.
But when assessing the ugliness of Boston’s loss on a night like this one, the method almost matters more than the result. The Celtics threw away a nine-point lead in the third quarter, unleashing some of its ancient demons.
It’s not the missed free throws or failed layups that will probably keep Joe Mazzulla up at night when he watches the movie, but rather plays like those. The Celtics will almost always score when they execute a simple play or pass against a weak defense like the Hornets.
It’s no longer essential to roll the dice and go back to isolating yourself against most opponents with this level of skill.
Against Charlotte, Brown shot just 2 of 9 in the second half, with 4 of his attempts being midrange jump jumpers. Brown’s isolation mentality was evident on a night when Boston had a 98 percent probability to win the game with two minutes left in regulation. The sooner Brown steps down, the better The less the Celtics try to overachieve offensively in these situations, the better.
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