Jaylen Brown scores 37, but sloppy Celtics fall to Blazers

The Celtics had loads of possibilities down the stretch in Sunday’s contest in opposition to the Path Blazers, however their execution failed them badly late in a 114-108 loss. 

Listed below are the takeaways.

The loss is okay … most likely

Celtics followers seemingly have taken a lot of this season in stride, safe within the data that this staff doubtless isn’t a contender (though the latest stretch of wins begs some fascinating questions). A few of the heavy expectations which have burdened the more and more broad shoulders of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for almost a decade have been lifted by Tatum’s damage, and a retooling 12 months turned a season for some gamers to develop (Hugo González, Jordan Walsh), for some gamers to check their limits (Payton Pritchard, Derrick White), and for some gamers to easily present out (Brown). 

Beneath that gentle, a 19-12 report after Sunday’s loss feels somewhat like checking your stability after vacation purchasing and seeing a wholesome quantity remaining: You won’t love what simply occurred, however you’ve banked sufficient to climate it.

The Celtics gained’t win each recreation they play in opposition to inferior competitors this 12 months. That was true final 12 months (dangerous losses to the Kings and Raptors rankled in January), and it’s doubly true on this staff that has considerably much less expertise out there. One loss after a four-game profitable streak isn’t apocalyptic, even when they kicked away a gettable win. The Celtics must extinguish the wick with a win over the Jazz. In the event that they do, Sunday’s meltdown will probably be forgotten rapidly. 

However, in a season the place wins in opposition to the most effective groups can’t be anticipated like they have been final 12 months, beating groups who’re beneath .500 as typically as doable is an important manner for the Celtics to maintain their lofty place within the standings. 

The Celtics acquired completely crushed on the glass

Within the first quarter, the Celtics gave the impression to be poised to get no matter they needed offensively, which didn’t bode properly for the Blazers. 

However, Portland had solutions on the opposite finish: 7-foot-2 heart Donovan Clingan and a dogged willpower to crash the glass. The Blazers completed with 15 offensive boards as a staff, and the Celtics struggled all night to carry possessions to an finish. 

No person was extra damaging on the offensive glass than Clingan, whose measurement predictably proved tough for the Celtics to deal with. Neemias Queta acquired himself into foul hassle with loads of time remaining. Luka Garza couldn’t do something about Clingan, and at one level, he acquired dunked on so onerous by the previous UConn star that he hit the ground onerous as Clingan stood over him and bellowed instantly at him, which the officers ignored. 

The largest offensive rebound Clingan claimed, nonetheless, got here with 22 seconds remaining. The Celtics had simply trimmed the Blazers’ result in one with a clutch 3-pointer by White, and Deni Avdija hoisted a troublesome triple in response, which he missed. Clingan, nonetheless, muscled his manner into nice place in opposition to González, shifting apart the smaller defender and incomes a foul as he laid the ball again up and in. His free throw pushed the result in two possessions, which was greater than sufficient given what occurred subsequent (we’ll get to that in a minute). Clingan completed with an eye-popping 17 rebounds, seven of which have been offensive. 

There’s solely a lot to be mentioned about this — the Celtics are a lot better than anybody anticipated earlier than the season, however they aren’t excellent, and there are solely so some ways to cover their warts in opposition to a staff with a participant like Clingan who’s tailored to uncover them. 

The Celtics turned the ball over a ton, particularly late

The Celtics can, nonetheless, management what number of instances they flip the ball over, which they uncharacteristically failed badly to restrict on Sunday. The Celtics have the bottom turnover proportion within the NBA this season in line with Synergy Sports activities, however they coughed the ball up 20 instances in opposition to an aggressive Blazers protection. 

The penultimate turnover was the nail in a nearly-shut coffin: Following Clingan’s 3-point play, on a sidelines out-of-bounds set, the Celtics ran a play to get Brown free for a fast basket, however Brown and White miscommunicated — Brown flared to the nook for a 3-pointer, whereas White fired a go that may have freed him for a fast layup with no shot blocker on the rim.

That wasn’t the one late turnover. Shaedon Sharpe tied Brown up almost the halfcourt line and knocked him backward with simply over a minute remaining and the Blazers up by one. Sharpe went 1-for-2, which propped the door open, however White and Brown helpfully closed it for him with one other turnover close to the halfcourt line—this time a foul go from White to Brown, which Camara disrupted.

The Celtics missed a ton of 3-pointers

The Celtics have had extra disastrous nights from three, however they weren’t good—13-for-44 from deep (29.5 %), and solely Brown (2-for-5) and Walsh (who barely performed) shot 40 % or higher. 

Add up 20 turnovers, sub-30-percent 3-point taking pictures and a dominant efficiency on the offensive glass by your opponent, and it doesn’t take a mathematician to discover a loss. 

Derrick White and Payton Pritchard struggled

The NBC Sports activities Boston broadcast identified that the Celtics are winless when White and Pritchard mix for fewer than 25 factors, and that report held up on Sunday. 

White scored 12 factors, and whereas he made a giant 3-pointer late, he was simply 2-for-10 from deep and 5-for-16 general.

Pritchard, in the meantime, made his first 3-point try however in any other case was largely invisible—9 factors on 3-for-10 taking pictures.  

Jaylen Brown had an enormous first half

If there was any query whether or not Brown would tie Larry Chook’s report for many consecutive 30-point video games in opposition to Blazers defensive specialist Toumani Camara, Brown put these questions nearly completely to mattress early. He scored 27 factors within the first half, ending the second quarter with a 3-pointer on the buzzer after which he turned to the Portland crowd and barked on the followers. He rapidly surpassed the 30-point mark within the second half with a troublesome layup in transition earlier than he was fouled on a 3-pointer. He tripped over the road by going 1-for-3, however he rolled over all of it the identical. 

The Blazers, nonetheless, slowed Brown down within the second half. They threw a number of defenders at him on a number of events, and Camara labored onerous to get the ball out of his arms. Brown tossed up and missed a few tough jumpers as properly, and whereas he completed with 37 factors on 14-for-24 taking pictures, he turned the ball over a wince-inducing six instances. 

Nonetheless, Brown was glorious — by far the Celtics’ greatest participant on an evening when their most necessary secondary stars allow them to down. Brown’s shot making has develop into so diversified — his bag so deep — that there isn’t at all times a variety of repetition to the methods he scores. He can get a defender on his again and elevate by way of contact to attain over the defender in entrance of him. He can get to the rim and navigate a number of defenders to seek out impossibly slim home windows to suit the ball off the glass. He can arrange defenders by beating them off the dribble and scoring on the rim, solely to throw on pinpoint brakes and create miles of separation for himself along with his deal with. 

Brown has been tasked with quite a bit this season, and he has come by way of repeatedly. On Sunday, he was imperfect, however he did greater than his half.

Anfernee Simons returned to Portland

In a pleasant second through the first timeout, Anfernee Simons was honored with a prolonged tribute video by the Blazers. Simons, after all, spent the primary seven years of his profession in Portland, and in his final 4 years, he hovered round 20 factors per recreation.