Celtics

It's normal for effort level to wax and wane throughout an NBA season. The 82-game slate is extremely difficult to physically and mentally endure, ...

And, when the Celtics get out of this shooting slump (which they will, I promise), their effort level is bound to improve, too. Especially against the Pacers, who like to get out and run on missed shots (they have the 6th highest pace in the NBA), this sort of lazy transition defense is not going to cut it. But, they did nothing of the sort in the first half, and even their nice second half push wasn’t enough to overcome their atrocious first two quarters. On this play, Tatum and White are both slow to react to the Nesmith rebound. The film session reviewing Wednesday’s loss – especially the first half – is not going to be pretty. It’s also normal for a team’s poor shooting to impact their ability to defend and rebound with aggression.

The Celtics defense remains sporadic early this season and Jayson Tatum admitted it didn't show up in the first half of Boston's loss to the Pacers.

They double-teamed Haliburton across half court and funneled the ball to Nesmith for a miss from three. Brown and Tatum ended the first half missing a layup and forcing a long two-pointer. Brogdon struggled to settle the offense and Brown lost the ball constantly. The team hasn’t answered those rallying calls in recent weeks anyway, and while every recent loss contained its nuances, they’ve all been followed by a lack of answers. Oshae Brissett followed the shot on the opposite side of the rim and poured a layup back in to increase Indiana’s lead to 59-30. Payton Pritchard, who started in place of a sick Marcus Smart, fed Brown for a cutting dunk to cut the lead from 28 points to 20 within minutes. On offense, the Celtics shot 6-for-18 at the rim as the Pacers followed the lead of recent teams that cut off Boston’s rim access. That’s crazy for anyone, and we did a good job in the first quarter of really containing him and focusing on their main guys. Tatum launched another three moments later, it hit the back of the rim and the Pacers escaped with a 117-112 win. They’re a good team, they’re gonna pick it back up, they’re top of the east for a reason, but we were able to come away with the win.” Jalen Smith dominated the offensive glass and Indiana converted 13-of-15 shots after a 1-for-9 start. Boston worked through its issues at practice on Tuesday and entered the Pacers game flatter than ever.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers withstand Jayson Tatum's 41-point bomb as the Boston Celtics fall short of a 28-point comeback by just 5.

Tatum scored six straight in the last 2:01 to slice into the final margin. Boston was within five with 3:06 to go, but a 6-0 Indiana run followed. Driving layups by Hield and Turner prompted a Boston timeout.

Nembhard racked up eight points (4-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal over 34 minutes during Wednesday's 117-112 win over ...

• But since then, Nembhard's contributions have dwindled and he's scored in single digits in seven of the last eight games, averaging just 7.3 points, 3.4 boards, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals over that stretch. The rookie looked good early after being re-inserted into the starting lineup at the end of November and popped for 31 points against the Warriors on Dec.

The Boston Celtics' recent funk continued Wednesday night. Boston welcomed the Indiana Pacers to town looking to snap its two-game losing streak but it ...

Magic: Boston Stumbles Down the Stretch, Falling for the Fourth Time in Five Games](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/heres-what-stood-out-in-celtics-loss-vs-magic-boston-stumbles-down-the-stretch-falling-for-the-fourth-time-in-five-games) [Breaking Down the Top 5 Plays from Sunday's Celtics-Magic Game](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/breaking-down-the-top-5-plays-from-sundays-celtics-magic-game) [Rick Carlisle Has High Praise for Celtics' Sixth Man and Former Pacer Malcolm Brogdon](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/rick-carlisle-has-high-praise-for-celtics-sixth-man-and-former-pacer-malcolm-brogdon) [Celtics Discuss the Roots of Their Offensive Struggles and the Keys to Getting Back on Track](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/celtics-discuss-the-roots-of-their-offensive-struggles-and-the-keys-to-getting-back-on-track) [Celtics Fans Certainly Will Love What Robert Williams Said After the Loss to Magic](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/celtics-fans-certainly-will-love-what-robert-williams-said-after-loss-to-magic) [Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Opens up After Boston's Second Straight Loss vs. "There's some things we need to change, some things we need to work on, but 22-10 in 32 games. There's literally nothing we can do now to change what happened, we just have to get ready for the next one." Boston now has lost five of its last six games, but still sits just a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and the best record in the NBA. [losing 117-112](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/heres-what-stood-out-in-celtics-loss-vs-pacers-boston-finds-itself-in-second-half-but-cant-dig-out-of-30-point-hole) to Indiana at TD Garden.

A 30-point deficit against the Pacers led to an ugly reaction from the TD Garden crowd that was earned according to Jayson Tatum.

We gotta regroup. “We gotta get back to -- we gotta learn how to win again. We gotta get back on track, essentially.” “I’m not really concerned about (the effort) in the sense of it’s the first that we’ve had where we really outplayed from an effort standpoint,” he said. We gotta figure it out. We let it -- it’s a domino effect.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had some bold words following the team's 122-117 loss to the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night.

[Minnesota Timberwolves](https://www.nba.com/timberwolves), the Celtics are going to have to build on the things that they did well in the second half. Even in their most recent win against the Los Angeles Lakers they had a collapse. Wednesday’s second half was encouraging for sure, but they should’ve never gotten themselves into such a big hole in the first place. Jayson Tatum put together one of the best halves of his career against Indiana. The Boston Celtics looked completely revitalized as they clawed their way back into the game. Boston looked absolutely lost in the first half against Indy.

Jayson Tatum and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics walk off the court during a timeout in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden on December ...

“I think we need a sense of urgency, and I think we’re starting to get that. We’ve seen both sides of the Celtics, and now we just need to find out what team they really are. [Veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon](https://www.sportscasting.com/malcolm-brogdon-just-showed-why-hes-leader-boston-celtics/) admitted there’s a lot of disappointment in that Celtics locker room but said there’s no concern. For much of the season, the Celtics held the best record in the league, Through their recent 1-5 record, Tatum said the team is a little uptight and needs to have more fun. [Boston Celtics,](https://www.sportscasting.com/tag/boston-celtics) who can’t seem to buy a win over the last two weeks.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston star forward Jayson Tatum returned Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers after a game because of personal reasons.

(Copyright (c) 2022 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) [https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports](https://apnews.com/hub/nba%20and%20https://twitter.com/AP_Sports)

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum knows his team is in a slump, having lost three straight games. Following their 117-112 loss against...

- Boston is allowing 112.3 points per game, which ranks 13th overall. Although the C’s outscored Indiana 42-29 in the third quarter, the Pacers led 71-43 at halftime. Also, they lead the league in offensive efficiency rating (1.141). Plus, he’s shooting 47.2% from the floor and 35.8% from downtown. Tatum led the Celtics in scoring with 41 points on Wednesday night. “Basketball is supposed to be fun; it’s supposed to be loose. Check out which sportsbooks are giving the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors the next-best odds. It’s supposed to be competitive. “It’s not as simple as that, but we have to get back to having fun. Basketball’s supposed to be fun.” “We gotta learn how to win again,” said Tatum.

After their third straight loss and their fifth in their last six games, the Boston Celtics have to take a look in the mirror. Boston fell to the Indiana ...

Boston’s biggest issue at the moment is getting in their own heads and undermining all of the confidence and free-flowing offense that made them an elite team to start the season. If the second half of Wednesday’s loss is any indicator, they’re entirely capable of playing like they did early in the season again; they’ve hit a mental roadblock. The toll that the Finals loss took on the Celtics cannot be understated, and with their recent loss to the Warriors on their road trip, it feels like some old ghosts have come back to haunt them. Many of their key rotational guys from their Finals run haven’t been playing with the same confidence and energy as before, sometimes flat out scared to shoot or prone to mental lapses on both sides of the ball. The change in approach for the second half was an encouraging sign for Boston, but if they had played with even half of that energy to start the game, the ending of this game is probably a lot different. Now, it’s all a matter of getting back to that. Boston fell to the [Indiana Pacers](https://www.indycornrows.com) in a narrow 117-112 loss, but for an overwhelming majority of the game, the Celtics were trailing. Boston’s rough stretch of games began with their loss to the Joe Mazzulla called a single timeout in the quarter at 5:08, after the Celtics fell behind 20-11; they proceeded the rest of the way by giving up a 22-11 run. Despite his herculean efforts, Boston couldn’t make up the deficit after playing so poorly in the first half. [Boston Celtics](https://www.celticsblog.com) have to take a look in the mirror. After falling behind 11-5 in the first quarter, Indiana hit the thrusters as they went on a 37-11 run the rest of the quarter.

A dominant second half wasn't enough to beat the Pacers, but it could be the wakeup call we've been waiting for in Boston.

“It’s also hard the way we played at the beginning of the year; when you set such a high standard, it’s hard to play to that all the time. We have to learn how to make that standard a habit.” You have to rely on who our guys are as people and you have to rely on the process of what we’re trying to build. Al Horford and Sam Hauser hit a pair of threes, Brown and Tatum hit some in the clutch, and the team finished 10-of-26 from 3 after halftime. They were never going to be as on fire as they were in October and November from behind the arc, but they’re still a team of above average shooters that can all drive-and-kick off the dribble and create for others. Last night specifically, after the Celtics hit just 3-of-15 from behind the arc, Jayson Tatum took it upon himself to consistently attack the paint and get to the line; he shot 13 free throws on the night, his fourth highest total of the year. The defense has gone from a 114.5 defensive rating in October to 111.6 in November to 106.9 points per 100 possessions this month. Maybe it’s the weight of expectation after such a strong start. As Malcolm Brogdon put it after his former team manhandled the Celtics in the first half, If Mazzulla could pair the two and seamlessly reintroduce Robert Williams back into the fray, the Celtics would be that team again that started out the season 21-5. After falling behind the [Pacers](https://www.indycornrows.com) by as many as 30 points in the first half, Boston outscored Indiana 69-46, but ultimately fell short 117-112 to fall 0-3 on their home stand and 1-5 overall. “I’m not really concerned in the sense that it was the first half that we really got outplayed from an effort standpoint,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said of his team’s poor start Wednesday night.

The Boston Celtics are stumbling after their hot start to the season, and Jayson Tatum knows what the problem is.

He scored 41 points on 52% shooting from the field and capped it off with a Their confidence wavered early on and things started to get out of hand, but Tatum has some potential solutions to the team’s woes. On this current losing streak, they lost [back-to-back matchups](https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-paolo-banchero-sounds-off-on-added-motivation-from-former-celtics-guards-garbage-remarks) against the lowly Orlando Magic and then failed to come back from a 30-point deficit versus the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. “As a group, we can’t let it snowball and that’s what happened tonight. The second half was better and even featured a wild Boston comeback, yet it According to Celtics star Jayson Tatum, the team has to play

Following a loss to the Pacers on Wednesday, Celtics star Jayson Tatum believes Boston is playing a "little timid."

It’s supposed to be competitive. It’s supposed to be loose. “And as a group, we can’t let it snowball and that’s what happened (against the Pacers). “I think it’s not as simple as that, but we got to get back to having fun. “We just got to regroup. “Basketball is supposed to be fun.

Celtics forward Grant Williams chimed in on his minutes reduction during the NBA Finals last season against the Warriors.

Before the start of the 2022-23 season, Williams and the Celtics failed to agree on a contract extension. He scored seven points and went 3-for-8 from the field with six rebounds and a steal. “That’s something I wanted to pride myself this season on being,” Williams said. Not to mention, Williams also knocked down a career-best seven 3-pointers in the season-saving win. “And I wanted to be that guy that stood up. And the veteran forward chimed in on that very minute reduction.

The pairing of Malcolm Brogdon and the Celtics has created "a perfect situation," explains Brogdon's former coach, Rick Carlisle.

Unfortunately, he was unable to play in a lot of the games, but I’ve known him for many years. Brogdon’s teammates have been pulling for him, as well, just knowing how much he wants to put the team first. He’s got a great background playing for Tony Bennett at UVA, and this is a perfect situation for the Celtics and for him.” Despite being seventh on the team in minutes per game (24.1), he ranks third in both scoring (14.0 points per game) and assist average (3.8 assists per game). “To me, there’s a small group of players that can pretty much do anything on a basketball floor,” said Carlisle, a 22-year head-coaching veteran. However, in no way has his role change impacted his productivity, as he’s provided a constant source of scoring, playmaking, and leadership.

This episode, we reprise our (very recent) holiday tradition of complainign about the Celtics, the NBA, and life in general with help from 'Anything is ...

Two weeks ago, the Celtics were 21-5 and looked like they were a tier above the rest of the NBA. Since, Boston is one miraculous late-game comeback away from a six-game losing streak. UP NEXT. WHO: Minnesota Timberwolves at Boston Celtics.

[Scorpio: Go over your financial situation and make changes to ensure you are steady moving forward. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Danilo Gallinari was the only other Celtics player on Friday’s injury report as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. We gotta regroup. From a big picture standpoint, Boston would have taken a 22-10 record to begin the year, but it doesn’t feel nearly has promising after seeing a team drop five of their last six. “I’m not really concerned about (the effort) in the sense of it’s the first that we’ve had where we really were outplayed from an effort standpoint,” he said. “We gotta get back to – we gotta learn how to win again. However, his running mates remain stuck in a malaise. There’s literally nothing we can do right now to change what happened. Coming off two straight losses at home to the Orlando Magic, Jayson Tatum said he thought the harsh treatment was deserved. They rallied to make things interesting in the fourth quarter but the deficit was too much to overcome. Since, Boston is one miraculous late-game comeback away from a six-game losing streak.

On Wednesday, for maybe the first time in their previously historic 2022-23 season, the Celtics were booed at TD Garden as they fell behind by as many as 30 ...

Against the Pacers, the Celtics generated a lot of solid shots as they slouched their way to a 3-for-15 first half from deep — or at least, shots that fell for them earlier this year. Tatum’s right, and the Celtics will probably figure out how to get back to having fun — after all, they’ve done it before. The Celtics have more than enough time to answer questions like that. Mazzulla’s comment is interesting — presumably, he meant that the Celtics need to decide whether they want to be the team they were in the first half or in the second half on Wednesday. With the exception of a highly contested step-back by Brown, every one of the Celtics’ 3-point attempts in the first quarter was a solid look, and they went 1-for-8 as the Pacers built a 20-point lead. This shooting slump won’t continue, but one can’t help but wonder how the Celtics will react if their 3-point shot deserts them in the playoffs. In the locker room, coach Joe Mazzulla delivered a message: The Celtics need to figure out for themselves what kind of team they want to be. In their 10 losses, the Celtics are shooting 30.9 percent from deep. They still have time to rectify mistakes, and they still have a killer two-way lineup featuring a ton of shooting, scoring, and versatile defense. In their 22 wins so far, the Celtics have shot 41.2 percent from 3-point range. They have the NBA’s best net rating, “We just have a choice to make: what team do we want to be?” Mazzulla said afterward.

Despite interim head coach Joe Mazzulla commending his team for cutting a 30-point deficit down to five in the second half of the Celtics' 117-112 loss.

We have a choice to make, which team do we want to be, the team that was the first half or the team that was the second half?” Celtics players will have to look within themselves and grapple with the old habits of last year and this month. The Celtics have to decide which team they’re going to be, is what he told his players at halftime, which according to Mazzulla, was posed as a question rather than a speech for his team. Since stomping all over the Phoenix Suns 125-98 on December 7, which was quickly the Celtics’ most impressive win of the year, Boston has struggled to find consistency on offense. Not even in their loss to the Chicago Bulls, who crushed Boston 120-102 back on October 24, did the Celtics look so out-worked. The Pacers’ lead eventually ballooned to thirty points (71-31).

In Air Alamo's latest mock trade proposal, the Boston Celtics land Jakob Poeltl for two former lottery picks and multiple future draft selections.

Danilo Gallinari was released by San Antonio last summer after the Dejounte Murray trade, making an inclusion in a trade iteration like this impossible, but if the two teams can move around that and find a third team, this would be proper value for the big man. Why the San Antonio Spurs do it They could either trust in their guys, as Joe Mazzulla said they should following a 117-112 victory on December 21, or look to the trade market for upgrades.