Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Trail Blazers: Offense Turns Cold in Final Frame
Friday's frustrating loss to the Trail Blazers is the latest in a far-too-long line of defeats that fall into that category for the Celtics. There are plenty of positives worth highlighting, but Boston's fourth-quarter collapse, going the final 7:19 without making a field goal, warrants the deepest dive.
Here's what stood out from a loss that drops the Celtics to 23-24 and 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Blazers Scorching Start
Offensively, the Trail Blazers didn't need to ease their way into this game; they were in rhythm the moment it tipped off.
CJ McCollum led the way for Portland, scoring eight of his 24 points in the game's opening 12 minutes.
When the first frame came to a close, the Trail Blazers were 10/13 (76.9 percent) from the floor, including 6/8 (75 percent) from beyond the arc. As a result of their hot shooting, they went into the second quarter with a 30-25 lead.
Celtics' Offset Poor Shooting by Attacking the Basket
That's the logical, and really, the only way to overcome struggles from long range. When Boston prioritizes challenging the defense by getting into the paint, it usually works well for them.
That was evident throughout this game, starting in the first quarter, in which the Celtics shot 2/10 from beyond the arc, but they made 10/20 field goals and scored 14 points in the paint.
It continued in the second frame, as Boston's aggressive mentality and stingy defense enabled it to erase a 15-point deficit and go into halftime with a four-point lead.
And by getting downhill and attacking the basket, the Celtics went on a 21-6 run, stretching from late in the third quarter into the fourth. That propelled them to an 11-point advantage, and it looked as if they were heading towards a bounce-back win after Wednesday's loss to the Hornets.
Instead, the game took a turn for the worst for them when it came time to deliver the knockout blow. More on that later.
Jayson Tatum Playing with Force
Tatum's struggles from beyond the arc this season are well-documented. He entered Friday's tilt against Portland with a perplexing 31.7 percent conversion rate from long range.
Rest assured, there's light at the end of the tunnel, but Tatum's three-point woes continued vs. the Trail Blazers, as he shot 0/6 from beyond the arc. He's missed his last 20 three-point attempts, and he hasn't made one in three games.
The way the All-Star wing overcomes this, like when he scored a game-high 27 points against the Pelicans despite shooting 0/4 from beyond the arc, is by reaping the rewards for the work he has done to bulk up, getting to the basket and the free-throw line.
On Friday, despite going 0/6 from three, Tatum again scored 27 points, with 14 coming in the paint and 11 at the charity stripe. The pressure he put on Portland's defense also made life easier on his teammates as he created high-quality shots for them, distributing seven assists. If he had dished out three more, then Tatum, who had ten rebounds in this game, would've had a triple-double. That also would've translated to a Celtics win.
Celtics Collapse in the Fourth Quarter
The Celtics went the last 7:19 of the game without making a field goal. As expected, it got harder to attack the basket when crunch time arrived. And with how well Tatum was facilitating for his teammates, Ime Udoka decided to play without a point guard, letting him serve as their floor general.
That's a sound decision, especially with Marcus Smart out and Dennis Schroder having a quiet night, producing nine points on nine shots and registering a -12 plus-minus rating largely thanks to his struggles on defense.
However, given that it wasn't working and the Trail Blazers were cutting into the Celtics' lead with a 9-0 run, it would've been best to get Tatum off the ball. That doesn't require bringing Schroder back in the game, though he did have four assists.
Instead, Boston could have experimented with playing through Jaylen Brown or kept the rock in the hands of their best player and had Tatum running pick-and-rolls with Robert Williams.
After all, high screen-and-rolls with Al Horford and Grant Williams worked effectively in the first five minutes of the final frame. There's no reason to think that success couldn't have continued with the Celtics' most lethal above-the-rim threat. At a minimum, it was worth trying.
Grant Williams as a Facilitator
Let's not end on a sour note as there were other positives worth highlighting from this game.
In this author's opinion, Williams is an underrated facilitator. Getting more out of his abilities in that facet of the game is one way Boston can start consistently moving the ball more effectively.
Al Horford was a Defensive Standout in the Fourth Quarter
The substantial size of Horford's contract, which has $41.5 million guaranteed over this season and the 2022-23 campaign, and the lack of traction the Celtics' offense gains when he and Robert Williams are on the court together, have resulted in his name coming up in the rumor mill.
Though he's struggled from the three-point line, entering Friday's matchup shooting 29 percent from beyond the arc and going 0/3 from there against Portland, Horford's helped solidify Boston's defense.
In the fourth quarter vs. the Trail Blazers, he did his best to help cover for Boston's scoring drought, blocking three shots, including two after he kept pace with burgeoning guard Anfernee Simons, then took advantage of the size disparity between the two of them.
Romeo Langford's Performance a Bright Spot in Loss
Langford provided a lift in the second half, scoring eight of his twelve points in that stretch. For the game, he went 5/7, including 2/4 on threes. The former lottery pick also had two blocks, and in 23 minutes, he earned a team-high +17 plus-minus rating.
Langford's minutes have been inconsistent throughout the first several years of his career, which hasn't helped him evolve into a steady contributor. Let's see what type of performance he follows this one up with Sunday against the Wizards.
Up Next
That matchup between Boston and Washington takes place in the nation's capital on Sunday afternoon. The game tips off at 3:30 EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Celtics Reportedly Exploring Trading Al Horford
Report Links Celtics to Jerami Grant
What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pelicans: A Tale of Two Halves
Film Room: Celtics' Ball Movement at Its Best in Win vs. Bulls
Should Jaylen Brown be the Celtics' Closer?
