The Celtics have been aggressive in every of their first six video games this season. That streak got here to an abrupt halt Saturday night time.
Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets steamrolled a drained Boston squad at TD Backyard, main by as many as 36 factors and by no means trailing en path to a 128-101 victory.
“Perhaps we made fatigued selections on the court docket and stuff like that,” Payton Pritchard advised reporters after the sport. “We got here able to play, however we acquired popped tonight. Transfer on and prepare for the following one.”
The blowout loss snapped a three-game profitable streak for the Celtics, who edged the Philadelphia 76ers in a street thriller 24 hours earlier. It was Boston’s second back-to-back of the week, and that confirmed in opposition to a formidable Rockets group that hadn’t performed since Wednesday.
Houston outscored the Celtics in all 4 quarters, owned a 53-36 edge in rebounds and tried 35 foul photographs to Boston’s seven. The Rockets additionally shot 65.5% from 3-point vary and blocked 11 photographs, each the perfect marks by a Celtics opponent this season.
“I don’t even know if there’s a takeaway for this sport,” Pritchard advised reporters. “… They form of punked us. We’ve acquired to prepare for the following one.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla started emptying his bench early within the fourth quarter, giving prolonged appears to deep reserves like Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh and two-way gamers Ron Harper Jr. and Amari Williams.
Scheierman (17 factors, 5 rebounds, two steals, 6-for-7 from the sector, 4-for-5 from three in 23 minutes) was one of many few brilliant spots for Boston.
“Typically, even once we had a championship-level group, you bought popped on some nights like this,” Pritchard advised reporters. “And also you simply flip the web page, prepare for the following one. It’s 82 video games. It’s quite a lot of touring, quite a lot of back-to-backs at instances. So it may be tiring. I believe they got here off two nights relaxation. They confirmed it tonight and killed us.”
The Celtics’ schedule — difficult from a journey and timing standpoint over the primary 10 days of the season — softens this week with dwelling video games in opposition to the Utah Jazz on Monday and Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
“Clearly, (Saturday) wasn’t our night time,” Mazzulla advised reporters. “Rockets performed nicely, good group, well-coached, They have been ready, and this wasn’t our night time tonight. So to me, that occurs over the course of the season, and so it’ll be extra essential about how we reply on Monday at shootaround and within the sport on Monday night time.”
KD talks JT
Durant, who efficiently overcame a ruptured Achilles in 2019, is inspired by the progress he’s seen from Jayson Tatum because the Celtics star works his manner again from the identical damage.
“I wouldn’t say I felt that assured to dunk the ball (six months after surgical procedure),” Durant advised reporters, by way of MassLive.com. “I don’t keep in mind if I used to be that far alongside in my journey, however drugs has superior a lot since I had (my) Achilles (damage). Jayson appears like he’s simply killing the rehab, and he appears nice.
“You don’t see a limp. For any person who simply had an Achilles surgical procedure within the playoffs, he appears wonderful. Hopefully, proceed to progress and he will get higher and get again on the court docket quickly. The sport misses him, the NBA misses him, simply, , all-world expertise, man, so wanting ahead to having him again on the ground.”
Durant sat out for 18 months after injuring his Achilles through the 2019 NBA Finals. Tatum is aiming for a a lot faster restoration, leaving open the potential for returning to the Celtics in some unspecified time in the future this season.
“I believe it’s possible, however I believe it’s good to have that choice on the desk to know that he can come again,” Durant stated. “Nevertheless it’s such a protracted methods away from now. I simply really feel like he’s simply taking it daily and see what occurs with the group, see what occurs along with his physique, decide at a later date. It’s cool to maintain it open, I assume, to play, and he simply likes to play, man. He’s a gamer. I’m positive if he can get on the market it doesn’t matter what the group’s report is, it doesn’t matter what, he’s going to get on the market to play, so all of us can’t wait to see him on the market once more.”
Chilly begins for Pritchard, White
Pritchard and fellow beginning guard Derrick White have taken on bigger offensive roles in Tatum’s absence, and to date, each are struggling to search out their stroke from 3-point vary.
Seven video games in, White is taking pictures simply 25.0% from past the arc (17-for-68). Pritchard has been even worse, making a mere 17.8% of his threes (9-for-50).
Out of 58 gamers who’ve tried at the least 35 3-pointers this season, Boston’s backcourt duo ranks final and second-to-last in 3-point taking pictures share. Pritchard and White have been a mixed 2-for-9 from deep in opposition to Houston and 3-for-16 in Saturday’s 109-108 win over Philly.
Pritchard has at the least given the Celtics wonderful taking pictures from contained in the arc, hitting 66.7% of his 2-pointers, however White has scuffled there, too (38.8% on 7.0 makes an attempt per sport). Boston will hope to see some constructive regression from two gamers who made a mixed 520 3-pointers final season.
