The Celtics dropped the ball once again last night against the Bulls. This was a game that the C’s should’ve won with ease, and instead let Chicago beat them 126-116. It was just another case of the Celtics playing down to their opponent’s level.
Things looked promising early on, as the Celtics started the game on a 7-0 run. After that, the Bulls got back into it but the C’s maintained a lead at the end of the first, 33-28. Boston got back to their old ways of completely forgetting how to play basketball in the second quarter. They allowed the Bulls to score 36 points in the quarter, and only were able to score 18 of their own. Chicago led at half, 64-51. Things didn’t get better in the second half. The Celtics quickly found themselves down by 25 less than halfway through the third. From this point on they seemed to remember how to play again. They outscored Chicago by 12 for the remainder of the quarter, but still trailed by 13 heading into the fourth. The C’s carried momentum over and were able to cut the lead down to just 8 early in the quarter. Chicago then responded with an 8-0 run and things never got as close for the rest of the game.
This one was very frustrating because it felt like Boston was going to come back the entire time. They just were unable to get any stops when they needed them. This was largely because they allowed two different Bulls to notch Career highs. Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen combined for 77 of Chicago’s 126 points.
LaVine was nearly unstoppable. It seemed like everything he threw up was finding the bottom of the net. He was a huge reason why the C’s couldn’t get back into it in the second half. He scored 23 of his 42 points in the second half and squashed the comeback hopes of the Celtics.
Markkanen gave the Celtics just as much trouble. He scored 35 points on the night, and 20 of them came in the second half. The Finnish forward made two incredibly tough shots down the stretch to keep the C’s out of it. He was able to get himself going early with easy layups and after that he just was unconscious.
The Celtics really let two players set career highs that had no business doing so. Sure, sometimes guys get hot, but letting two of them get to that point is ridiculous. Brad Stevens finally made an adjustment to zone down the stretch that forced them to play a bit differently. Had he done that earlier the C’s could’ve got themselves back into it.
Now the Celtics are still winless since the All Star break, and are seeing themselves slide down the standings. They’re now in fifth place, a game back of Philadelphia for fourth, and three games back of the Pacers for third. To top it off, they’ll be in Toronto on Tuesday to play the Raptors who have won 7 straight games.
Things are getting really frustrating for the team right now and they have to be able to respond. The loss Thursday was pretty frustrating. They could’ve righted the ship with a win last night and just dropped the ball. I can’t see them doing much better up in Toronto, they haven’t won a game there since 2015.
It may be time for fans to get a little worried.
As it stands, the Celtics will not have home court at all in the playoffs. They’re a team that has struggled on the road all season, you can use last night as an example. There’s been reported chemistry issues within the team all season. The younger guys have been upset with the veterans and vice versa.
This isn’t the most ideal time for Boston to be on a road trip. They’ve been better at the Garden this season and could use a nice home game to get their footing.
Things need to change for the better very soon if they have any intention of going deep into the playoffs this season.
It also may not be time to panic.
There are plenty of signs of hope for the Celtics. If you look at the way this season has gone, you can see that they’ve been a streaky team. They’re just on one of their skids right now and are struggling to figure things out. It seems like every time Baynes is out for a while they just forget how to play defense, once again use last night as an example. The good news is Baynes will be back relatively soon and certainly before the playoffs.
Another key characteristic of this team is their ability to show up for big games. Despite losing to the Bucks on Thursday night, the C’s still gave them a run for their money and arguably should’ve won that game. In games against the top 4 in the East this season, the Celtics are 7-4. Had the ball bounced their way in either Indiana or Milwaukee that could easily be 9-2. Come playoff time, those are the teams that they’ll be playing. As of right now they’d be playing the 76ers in the first round, a team that they’ve owned for the last two seasons.
Although the team has struggled and things don’t feel very good at the moment, there’s time for them to turn things around. Getting a win in Toronto is extremely important for them right now. It’s the first step to get back on track before the playoffs. I have no doubt in my mind that they’ll at least play a respectable game against the Raptors and probably push them to their limit.
What do you think, is it time to panic?
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