What Stood Out in the Celtics' Loss VS Nets

As well as the Celtics are playing lately, the theme of their loss against the Nets was bad habits resurfacing. That began with Boston being slow out of the gates and held true for much of the night. Here's an exploration into that while diving into what stood out from Brooklyn's win over the Celtics.

In a game that was viewed as a measuring stick for the Boston Celtics, winners of eight of their last 11, boasting the top defensive rating in the NBA during that stretch, this was a night where the Celtics' bad habits resurfaced. More on that theme below while diving into what stood out in Boston's 123-104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. 

Good Shots Not Dropping

It's a familiar problem for the Celtics. They shot 37.4 percent from the field, including 11/48 (22.9 percent) from beyond the arc. Many of those misses came on good looks, but it's known that Boston's rotation features a lot of inconsistent shooters. Falling in love with the three usually doesn't benefit them.

Furthermore, when the Celtics get over-reliant on a three-point shot that doesn't love them back, it usually leads to them reverting to an iso-heavy offense and poor defense.

Not surprisingly, Boston's offense was at its best when attacking off the dribble and making a concerted effort to get the ball into the paint. Doing so gets the defense in rotation, promoting ball movement, and prompting players to cut. Not only does it lend itself towards generating higher-quality shots, but it's a more purposeful style of play, a combination that creates more energy and greater buy-in. And, just as a barrage of bricks makes life more challenging on the defensive end, better shots and more players getting involved offensively are beneficial defensively.

The Nets' Defense was Suffocating

Yes, Boston missed plenty of good shots; it's also true that Brooklyn played at a high level defensively for much of the game. The Celtics not attacking the basket enough wasn't just their own doing.

The Nets are connected defensively, they're active, and they communicate well. You'll rarely find someone rotating to the wrong spot. That combination not only played an integral part in Brooklyn building a lead that ballooned to 28 in the third quarter after an 18-3 run, but also in keeping Boston at bay when the Celtics tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, cutting their deficit to 12 points, but never getting closer.

The Celtics Let Frustrations with the Officials Negatively Impact Their Performance

There were plenty of questionable decisions where the officiating could have worked towards the Celtics' benefit, but it didn't. Getting frustrated by that is human nature, but before Boston even played a preseason game, Ime Udoka stressed the importance of the Celtics not letting how they feel about a call impact how they play or result in them being late down the floor.

Tonight, the officiating got under their skin, and it took away from their focus on the task at hand, feeding into the Nets growing their lead.

Patty Mills Was En Fuego

Mills and Udoka spent time together with the San Antonio Spurs. Now a member of the Nets, the sharpshooting guard caught fire early and sustained it throughout the game, finishing with 23 points on 8/12 shooting, including knocking down seven of his ten attempts from beyond the arc.