#1 – Jaylen Brown: vitality shifter
After being in management for the primary half, the sport slipped away from the Celtics’ arms within the third quarter. After scoring solely 36 factors within the first 24 minutes, the Jazz scored 38 factors within the first 12 minutes after the break.
If the Celtics have been capable of keep within the sport whereas all the pieces was uncontrolled, it was due to Brown’s willingness to get to the rim and combat totally free throws and layups to get his groove again. As quickly as Joe Mazzulla put him again within the sport, he went straight at Kyle Fillipowski and located his technique to the rim.
In transition, he confirmed the way in which once more and stored being aggressive within the paint, forcing the Jazz to foul. He ended up with 11 free-throw makes an attempt.
Late within the sport, he carried the Celtics on his shoulders to get again into it with 8 factors within the final 3 minutes. It began with a fantastic offensive rebound in the course of a crowded paint.
On each ends of the ground, JB led the way in which, pressured turnovers, and stored attacking the rim to maintain hope alive.
Nevertheless, an offensive foul within the closing seconds wiped all of those efforts away. The Celtics nonetheless had an opportunity to tie the sport after yet one more offensive rebound.
#2 – The rebounding jokes write themselves
The Celtics are the worst defensive-rebounding staff within the league, they usually simply misplaced a sport after a putback game-winner from Jusuf Nurkic, in 2025.
Generally, the jokes write themselves.
#3 – Celtics scoring twice from Iverson minimize within the clutch
Earlier than all of it went down, the Celtics used a wise offensive strategy to create scoring alternatives for Derrick White and Brown. The play name begins with an Iverson minimize.
From that minimize, it turns into a read-and-react scenario. On the primary play, Keyonte George journeys and loses White, who finds himself open for 3 when he receives the ball and instantly pulls from deep… bang!
On the following play, George switches onto Brown, so when D-White will get the ball, the Celtics guard alerts JB the place to go so he can assault the mismatch from the put up. Which he did.
This was a wise strategy to take the lead again late, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to compensate for the defensive issues the Celtics confronted within the second half.
#4 – Off-ball protection lapses
The primary made bucket from the Jazz within the third quarter gave us a touch of what was coming. A easy pick-and-roll with a minimize from Svi Mykhailiuk, and the paint was large open. Brown is neither in drop, nor switching, nor hedging — he gambles for the ball, and the assist in the paint is means too sluggish.
Talking of Svi, the previous Celtic, he was left large open after one other defensive misunderstanding. Josh Minott is simply too targeted on the ball and the display coming from Nurkic, and he forgets his matchup for a second — wide-open three.
On high of those defensive lapses, this sport was one other instance of how necessary Neemias Queta’s rim safety is… or how problematic it’s when he isn’t there.
#5 – No rim safety with out Queta
On this primary play, the Jazz power a change and hold Queta away from the rim. As soon as Fillipowski receives the ball and sees no rim safety, he drives and finishes.
On this Zoom motion (an off-ball display adopted by a handoff), there’s no person to guard the paint, with two gamers within the nook. Xavier Tillman isn’t capable of sustain with rookie Walter Clayton Jr. on his drive.
On this final play, each the off-ball protection and rim safety are regarding. Brown will get crushed by Kevin Love (37 years outdated), and as soon as Clayton Jr. finds him on the roll, there isn’t any assist on the rim to decelerate the fifth choose of the 2008 NBA draft.
All of those defensive lapses are a disgrace, particularly if you see how nice and quick the Celtics have been taking part in as soon as they have been lastly capable of get a cease.
#6 – Working after rebound
The Celtics generated a transition try on 57% of their defensive rebounds, per Cleansing The Glass — the very best fee of the season (league common: 30%).
This one-minute sequence under reveals how a lot Joe Mazzulla’s group is prepared to dash and assault earlier than the protection can set.
This is the reason the Celtics want stops — and defensive rebounds. With out these two components, they received’t be capable to run as a lot as they need. And they should run, as a result of taking pictures is just not going properly.
#7 – 17% from past the road within the second half
The Celtics stored taking pictures poorly and will have discovered a brand new low with 11 made threes out of 51 makes an attempt… In the meantime, the remainder of the offense seemed good.
They proceed to be elite at defending the ball (2nd in TOV% within the NBA), and the effectivity from the mid-range and on the rim was spectacular: 91% on the rim, 60% on floaters, 50% on lengthy mid-range photographs, and extra free throws than ordinary.
But, greater than half of their FGAs have been tried past the arc. Arduous to determine why, when it is going to change, or if it ever will.
#8 – Keyonte George couldn’t be stopped
Final season, the good Mike Shearer wrote a chunk titled “Celtics have a teensy-weensy downside: small, fast guards.” A yr later, it’s nonetheless true. After Tyrese Maxey and VJ Ejecombe’s historic night time, it was Keyonte George’s flip to have his enjoyable.
The younger guard dominated his matchup — driving, passing, and taking pictures. He made his teammates’ lives simpler on pick-and-rolls and punished the Celtics from deep. His velocity was unimaginable to cope with: he had 13 free-throw makes an attempt and scored 31 factors on 70% true taking pictures.
#9 – Again-to-back L towards Joe’s former colleagues
After shedding to former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, the Celtics misplaced to Will Hardy. Joe Mazzulla can have an opportunity at revenge later this season: December thirty first in Salt Lake Metropolis and February fifth in Houston. Will his gamers present a greater model of themselves? Hopefully.
#10 – Can’t blame a moist ground towards the Utah Jazz
Jaylen Brown stated the referees price the Celtics the sport — and that it was unacceptable. Sadly, all people makes errors. He did too, as he was referred to as for an offensive foul a couple of minutes later. Gamers, referees, coaches, writers — all of us make errors.
Nonetheless, wanting on the Jazz roster and the takeaways above, I wouldn’t blame the referees or the moist ground for the Celtics’ fifth lack of the season towards a staff that received 17 video games final yr.
