Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Celtics' Loss to Clippers a Reminder Half-Court Offense Must Improve When Porzingis is Unavailable
On Saturday night, the Boston Celtics suffered just their second loss this season at TD Garden. But whereas their 102-100 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets came down to the last shot, their matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, another potential Finals preview, was a 115-96 thrashing.
The hosts, now 35-11 and still atop the NBA standings, went 36/100 from the field, never finding a rhythm offensively. Too often, drives led to spending the rest of a possession defeated rather than creating positive outcomes.
And with the Clippers instructing their help defenders up top to hang back and prevent Boston from kicking the ball out for threes, downhill attacks, or a swing pass to an open shooter with the defense scrambling, there was rarely a secondary source to produce points when the primary option got taken away, which happened frequently.
Rather than chalking it up to a 10/40 (25 percent) performance from beyond the arc, the Celtics need to tap into more reliable second options when Kristaps Porzingis isn't in the lineup.
For example, more off-ball cutting could've helped on Saturday. And with the visitors consistently stunting toward, swiping at, and congesting Jayson Tatum when he came off a high screen and drove to the basket, perhaps getting him the ball in the post more would've drawn double teams, resulting in a numbers advantage that sparked better ball movement.
The five-time All-Star only registered one assist and finished with a team-high 21 points on 8/18 shooting. He also grabbed 11 rebounds in the loss.
The other factor that undermined Boston's offense in this game was that the visitors controlled the pace of play. Los Angeles prefers a slower tempo, whereas it's paramount that the former is pushing the ball off makes and misses.
But since that often wasn't the case on Saturday, it became more challenging to manufacture favorable setups.
The Celtics' defense suffered for their lack of productivity offensively, as they struggled to get stops in transition and provided increasingly less resistance as the third quarter progressed.
It also was at the heart of the Clippers winning on the margins. They generated a 64-48 advantage in points in the paint, a 21-11 edge in second-chance scoring, 26 points on the fast break, and 15 off 11 turnovers. They also got a game-high 26 points from Kawhi Leonard.
Now for further exploration into what stood out as Boston's 115-96 loss unfolded on Saturday.
1. At a time when multiple players around the Association are generating 70 points, and people are asking about the state of NBA defenses, the first quarter of Saturday night's Celtics-Clippers matchup likely had some questioning their stance about a preference for less scoring.
Perhaps a high-level defensive chess match would've proven more satisfying, but while the play from both teams on that end of the floor was fine, neither Boston nor Los Angeles could buy a basket.
The low-scoring first frame ended with the visitors holding a 26-21 lead. While they went 2/8 from beyond the arc, the hosts shot a frigid 26.9 percent from the field, including 2/12 (16.7 percent) from three-point range.
2. On a positive note, less than two minutes into the game, Jayson Tatum attacked downhill, going around James Harden for a layup and a trip to the free-throw line, giving him 11,000 career points.
According to Celtics' radio play-by-play broadcaster Sean Grande, he is the seventh player in NBA history to reach that milestone before his 26th birthday.
3. Jaylen Brown, in particular, struggled in the first half, entering the break with eight points on 3/11 shooting. He missed both attempts from behind the arc and had a turnover. Too often, he forced the issue and needed to play with more control when driving downhill.
4. Jrue Holiday also had difficulty finding a rhythm in the first 24 minutes. He tends to step up as a scorer when another starter is out, as was the case with Kristaps Porzingis inactive on Saturday due to a left ankle sprain.
However, the two-time All-Star was 2/10 from the floor and 1/7 from three-point range at intermission. He registered seven points, three assists, and three rebounds in the first half.
5. Their misses, a product of forcing the issue and hunting for mismatches, targeting Terance Mann on multiple occasions, took from getting Tatum more involved.
The now five-time All-Star still managed to go 5/8 from the floor, often capitalizing on transition opportunities that fueled his matching Kawhi Leonard with 12 points, pacing all participants entering halftime.
His efficiency, combined with a sequence late in the second quarter where he got two points on a transition layup, Brown blocked a Paul George attempt, and Holiday drilled a pull-up three, helped the Celtics avoid a worse fate than being down 55-39 after the first 24 minutes.
5. Boston's fortunes didn't change in the third frame. Tatum manufactured the hosts' first seven points, and it took until a Luke Kornet bucket at the 3:18 mark for anyone else on the team to score.
Los Angeles outpaced them 36-21 in the third period, generating 22 points in the paint, 12 on second-chance opportunities, and six off four turnovers.
6. While Kawhi Leonard had no trouble scoring against anyone who drew that assignment, putting 14 points on the board, the Celtics shot 30.4 percent from the field, including 2/7 (28.6 percent) from beyond the arc.
7. Their struggles containing Leonard, who finished with a game-high 26 points, losses on the margins, and offensive woes led to the starters sitting out the final frame with the outcome already decided.
The most concerning aspect of Saturday's loss is the extent to which Boston's half-court offense struggled with Porzingis unavailable. That's quietly been an issue beyond this contest, but the hosts' second loss at TD Garden this season provided a loud reminder.
Too often, their first options got taken away too easily or produced low-quality shots. The Celtics didn't appear to have much confidence in their other choices either. They need to figure out how to fix that against championship-caliber opponents, especially with durability concerns about their seven-foot-three center.
8. Boston must quickly put this defeat behind it. The Celtics are on to a Monday night matchup against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. That game will tip off at 7:30 EST.
Further Reading
Celtics Maturation Molded by Experience: 'It Builds, Like, an Armor'
Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Top Heat in One of Their Best Performances This Season
Celtics Finding Joy in Basketball and Each Other's Company: 'We've Been Blessed'
Fixated on Winning, Jayson Tatum Again Proves He's Not 'Bored Making the Right Play Over and Over'
Jrue Holiday Responds to Celtics Saying He's Sacrificing Most: 'Not Mad at My Situation'
Brad Stevens Shares What Celtics Are Looking to Add and How He Hopes to Do So
Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'
Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'
Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'
