Progress, at instances, may be as painful and agonizing as it’s rewarding, and the Celtics skilled that firsthand of their NBA Cup duel with the Magic on Friday night time.
Over six months after eliminating the Magic within the first spherical of final season’s NBA Playoffs, Boston returned to Orlando — this time considerably extra ill-equipped. As a substitute of sitting 15 miles away from Disney World, chasing a championship repeat, the Celtics are grappling for validation as a crew that may maintain its personal and compete with out Jayson Tatum. That journey started favorably when the Celtics kicked off their NBA Cup bid towards the Sixers in Philadelphia, however the follow-up confirmed that Boston’s luck from the Metropolis of Brotherly Love was no match for Orlando’s fourth-quarter magic.
The Celtics stayed aggressive all through the second half, preserving the Magic on edge till the ultimate minutes of the fourth quarter. However a careless turnover by first-year ahead Josh Minott swung momentum decisively in Orlando’s favor. Magic guard Anthony Black intercepted Minott’s errant go and completed a layup, giving Orlando a 97-96 lead. From there, Boston fell sufferer to a 26-14 run, affected by undisciplined play and offensive struggles, which sealed their destiny in a 123-110 loss on the Kia Middle.
Jaylen Brown views the late-game spill by means of a extra optimistic lens.
“I believe we’re rising. I believe we’re getting higher,” Brown mentioned. “I’m liking what I’m seeing from sure guys, and that’s an important factor — persevering with to get higher. And I do know we’re not a corporation or fanbase that makes excuses, particularly in video games that we are able to win, however it’s part of the training curve and course of. It’s nonetheless early within the season, and we gotta proceed to struggle. I’m gonna proceed to struggle, proceed to assist my teammates get higher, proceed to offer the sport what it wants, however that’s part of it.”
Minott’s turnover, reckless and reflective of Boston’s present state, wasn’t the one motive for the defeat.
Boston dedicated 14 turnovers, together with 5 within the fourth quarter. That’s not just like the C’s. Sometimes, the Celtics aren’t simply disciplined — they’re the NBA’s most disciplined crew on the subject of defending the ball, averaging a league-best 11.2 turnovers per recreation coming into Friday night time.
Brown and Payton Pritchard, each crew leaders, every dedicated key turnovers throughout Orlando’s late rally, underscoring Boston’s ongoing seek for progress and consistency.
“I believe it’s simply being extra attentive to what’s happening and valuing these possessions,” Anfernee Simons added. “These may be rising pains — us as a crew being in these positions collectively for the primary time. As we undergo these conditions, we’ll get higher at them. I believe tonight we are able to be taught so much from this one, particularly on the finish of the sport.”
The distinction between Celtics wins and losses this season has typically come all the way down to limiting miscues as a lot as attainable. On nights once they’re in a position to preserve their turnover depend low, it interprets. On nights once they crash the boards and preserve opponents from stockpiling on offensive rebounds and second-chance factors, it interprets. Regardless of the crew’s sluggish begin with the 3-pointer — Boston ranks first in 3-point makes an attempt (46) and twenty seventh in 3-point proportion (32.3%) — the Celtics have proven they will carry out just like the Celtics of the previous.
“We’ll clearly simply return and watch the movie and begin with the issues which you could management,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “They’d 29 factors in transition. Clearly, some free throws there, some essential free throws that we may get higher at, and simply offensive execution. So we’ll check out that (on Saturday).”
Minott’s turnover, if something, emphasised the significance of tackling the margin for error.
That’s the place the Celtics fell very, very brief in Orlando.
Momentum is a essential part of navigating 4 12-minute quarters. For a crew constructed just like the Celtics, it’s particularly important, because the “savior” of the night time may be anybody. It received’t all the time be Brown, Pritchard, or Derrick White. We’ve already seen Hugo González, Jordan Walsh, and Minott step into the highlight and make an affect. They’ve proven that, no matter previous seasons or their spot on the depth chart, everybody carrying a Celtics uniform will get an at-bat.
Momentum is what saved the Celtics within the working for a 2-0 NBA Cup headstart, and it’s what dragged them to a loss to start their three-game highway journey.
“It all the time comes all the way down to pockets of that,” Mazzulla mentioned. “If it’s a blowout, they get talked over, and we discuss different stuff. On this state of affairs, these (momentum swings) get magnified. And I believe that’s the expansion that we simply must proceed to struggle for as a crew — we introduced the trouble and the physicality, however we gotta carry the execution. In a recreation of swings like that, the place it’s shut all through most of it, these performs matter and so they’re magnified, and we simply gotta be higher.”
