Celtics

The Celtics lost their third game in four tries as recent struggles have popped up.

The Celtics have posted a 3-3 record coming out of the All-Star break. And the C’s will look to get back to those title expectations. We’ve played pretty good basketball most of the year, and this is a time where you tighten up, you fix some of these things, some of these issues, or it goes the other way.” We’re still in a great position and we still got time to figure — and we’re going to. “We would like to win every game coming out of the break, but probably wasn’t going to happen. [The latest result for the C’s was a 131-129 double overtime loss to the Knicks](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2023/03/four-takeaways-as-celtics-lose-to-knicks-131-129-in-double-overtime-thriller.html) as they couldn’t find enough points in the margins. That leaves plenty of minutes still left to recalibrate and fix the vibes. Boston also erased a seven-point margin in 85 seconds to force the first overtime as Jaylen Brown made a clutch and-1. The team is far from starting to [Pre-registration for mobile betting](https://www.ma.betmgm.com/en/p/king-of-sportsbooks?wm=7086263)in Massachusetts is live on BetMGM. BOSTON — The NBA season is long, and there are bound to be struggles. That’s the natural order of things over the course of an 82-game season.

The Celtics dropped another game to the Knicks on Sunday, falling in double overtime despite big games from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics needed either more time (so Tatum could kick out to Horford) or a clear side of the court for Tatum and Brown to operate. Trailing by two with 22 seconds left, the Celtics forced a shot-clock violation and brought the ball up the floor, but Tatum and Grant Williams seemed to get the play confused, and Mazzulla called timeout with 10 seconds remaining as a frustrated Tatum stormed back to the bench. But it’s kind of our style of play, just trying to get the best shot every time down the court.” On the one hand, the Celtics won’t go anywhere if their stars are exhausted when the postseason rolls around. The 1-seed would have to hope they wear each other down, because neither team will be an easy out. Generating good 3-point shots is crucial to the Celtics’ offense. “We’re still in a great position and we still got time to figure it out — and we’re going to. And I probably had a little more time than I thought.” Unfortunately for the Celtics, Al Horford was in the corner on Tatum’s side of the floor, and Mitchell Robinson helped off him to make Tatum’s layup attempt more difficult. Even if they don’t make a deep run, the playoffs create problems that drive things that happened in March from our minds. They have significantly more big-game pedigree than teams like the Knicks and Cavaliers. They have played well against the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs face the Celtics for the second time in a week on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Al Horford, forward, 9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.7 apg. Derrick White, guard, 11.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg. Jayson Tatum, forward, 30.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.8 apg. Jaylen Brown, guard, 26.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.2 apg. [Caesars Ohio Sportsbook](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/caesars/) is open for bets now that Ohio sports betting has launched. Marcus Smart, guard, 11.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.8 apg. Evan Mobley, forward, 15.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.7 apg. Darius Garland, guard, 22.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 7.9 apg. Isaac Okoro, guard, 6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.1 apg. Donovan Mitchell, guard, 27.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.8 apg. CLEVELAND -- The Cavs host the Boston Celtics on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

For the second time in the past week, second meets fourth in the Eastern Conference as the Cleveland Cavaliers 40-26 host the Boston Celtics 45-20 at Rocket ...

But given the circumstances of this game, it feels like a good time to pre-empt a drop-off. After a 250+ point contest, it was pushed out to 220 and hasn't come back down after a pair of 225+ point contests. It's also important to note that this is the fourth meeting between these sides, and familiarity can lead to lower-scoring games. But winning the game and covering the spread are two different things. But Boston held on to win the game and that was always likely, as they played with double revenge on their mind after Cleveland had won their two early season encounters. Breaking down this contest, Boston are now on a 1-5 ATS run, and they've lost back-to-back games since beating Cleveland.

New users signing up at Bet365 Sportsbook are eligible for $200 in bonus bets, and we have Celtics vs. Cavaliers expert NBA picks to help you get started.

The Knicks beat the Celtics without Brunson, who missed the game with a sore foot. Quickley started in his place and had the best game of his young NBA career, ...

For much of last year, especially in the second half of the regular season and through their run to the NBA Finals, it was defense that carried the Celtics.

There are reasons to believe them -- they've arguably been the league's best team most of the season -- but the playoffs are fast approaching and there will be no easy series in the Eastern Conference. 4 in defensive rating and has tons of good one-on-one defenders, including the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in The Celtics still have time to fine tune their game and establish a real identity. And then I'm watching Dallas, Golden State, the Lakers, and last night Philly and Milwaukee. I don't actually know what (the identity) is at this point." You know how you're going to play night in and night out," House explained. It doesn't matter if a team goes on a run or you're on a run. "And (Monday) on a back-to-back, we played a bunch of minutes (Sunday) and we're playing a tough Cavs team that's really good at home. Night in and night out it's different." "At one point, I thought it was going to be defense, and then it was, at the beginning of the year, pace and space and all that. [lost in double overtime at home](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-knicks-takeaways-immanuel-quickley-takes-over-double-ot-thriller?chrcontext=WBTS). Even when the 3-point shooting and ball movement weren't good enough, the elite defense was almost always still there to give this team a chance to win.

The Celtics will be missing several key players for Monday night's game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Here's the latest injury report for Boston.

[out seven to 10 days](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/joe-mazzulla-shares-update-robert-williams-hamstring-injury?chrcontext=WBTS) with right hamstring soreness. Tatum played a team-high 49 minutes in [Sunday night's double overtime loss](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-knicks-takeaways-immanuel-quickley-takes-over-double-ot-thriller?chrcontext=WBTS) to the New York Knicks at TD Garden. The Cavs are in fourth place and sit 5.5 games behind the Celtics. Monday's matchup in Cleveland concludes Boston's season series with the Cavs. [Tatum, Horford, Robert Williams ruled out for Celtics vs. [Jayson Tatum](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/jayson-tatum?chrcontext=WBTS), [Al Horford](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/al-horford?chrcontext=WBTS) and [Robert Williams III](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii?chrcontext=WBTS) all won't play versus the Cavs.

The Celtics will be missing several key players for Monday night's game against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Here's the latest injury report for Boston.

[out seven to 10 days](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/joe-mazzulla-shares-update-robert-williams-hamstring-injury) with right hamstring soreness. The Cavs are in fourth place and sit 5.5 games behind the Celtics. Tatum played a team-high 49 minutes in [Sunday night's double overtime loss](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-knicks-takeaways-immanuel-quickley-takes-over-double-ot-thriller) to the New York Knicks at TD Garden. Monday's matchup in Cleveland concludes Boston's season series with the Cavs. [beating the Cavs 117-113](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-cavaliers-takeaways-jayson-tatum-snaps-out-slump-cs-win) at the Garden last week. [Jayson Tatum](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/jayson-tatum), [Al Horford](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/al-horford) and [Robert Williams III](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii) all won't play versus the Cavs.

For the game, they will be without their best player, as Jayson Tatum has been ruled out due to a knee injury. Underdog NBA: "Jayson Tatum (knee) ruled out ...

The Celtics visit the Cavaliers on Monday as we continue our NBA odds series with a Celtics-Cavaliers prediction, pick, and how to watch.

In addition to his 22.0 PPG, Garland ranks seventh in the NBA with 7.9 APG. Assuming they end up resting people, I actually like the Celtics if the spread creeps toward 10. If the Cavaliers are going to cover tonight they are going to need to score. Assuming he is able to go, Mitchell should provide a huge baseline of production considering he averages 36.7 PPG against the Celtics this season. The stars of the show the last time Boston had a mass resting of players were their guards. Mitchell leads the team with 27.4 PPG in addition to 4.8 AG and 1.5 SPG. They will need their offense to be clicking as Boston sports a top-ten defense themselves. That being said, the Celtics are an incredibly deep roster and have already shown the ability to cover without their stars. Despite eventually losing the game 126-131, Boston’s bench proved its worth and they have a great chance to cover again tonight in Cleveland. The Celtics covered 52% of their games while 51% went over the projected point total. The Cavaliers covered 56% of their games while 53% went under. [Boston Celtics](/nba/boston-celtics) (45-20) visit the [Cleveland Cavaliers](/nba/cleveland-cavaliers) (40-26) on Monday night!

The Celtics hope to get back on track after a painful double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks and dropping three of their last four games.

The Celtics look to bounce back from their double OT loss to the Knicks as they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Back to Back on the Road - The Celtics are playing on the road and will need to stay focused in spite of the distractions of travel and playing in front of a hostile crowd. The Celtics have to adjust to how the game is being called and focus on the game and not on the officials. The Celtics are also playing on the second night of back to back games and in the 3rd game in 4 nights and so fatigue may become a factor, especially after a double overtime game on Sunday. With that fresh in the Cavs’ minds, they are sure to come out fired up and look to outplay the Celtics in this one. The Cavs play hard and so the Celtics need to match that effort and play even harder. The Celtics are 8-1 in the second of back to back games and are 6-1 when the second game is played on the road. The Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games and in the 3rd game in 4 nights. Effort and Focus - The Celtics need to stay focused on playing the game the right way. The Cavs are going to play good defense and so the Celtics will need to match or exceed their defensive intensity. He shot 51.2% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. He shot 51.2% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc in the first 3 games against the Celtics. I’m also guessing that the Celtics will go smaller with Derrick White in the lineup to replace Horford and Grant Williams to replace Tatum.

his is the time in the NBA regular season when, in an ideal world, teams start to play their best basketball so they can hit the ground running for Game 1 ...

[in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/embarrassing-loss-didnt-feel-one-variable-effort-celtics) last Friday. The C's will play the Cavs in Cleveland on Monday night. [Al Horford](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/al-horford) told reporters in his postgame press conference. They are just 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place and have a 3-game lead over the Philadelphia 76ers for second place. The C's took too many 3-pointers and didn't attack the basket often enough. "And throughout the season, you’re gonna have adversity.

Provided by Field Level Media. The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Boston Celtics on Monday night in the second meeting between the teams in March, ...

Boston is fourth in the league in scoring (117.5 points per game). "The only thing you can control is to try to win the games," Mazzulla said in reference to playoff seeding. "We put ourself in the best possible chance to win. The loss marked Boston's second straight and third in the last four games. A by-product is the Cavaliers giving up the third-lowest amount of field-goal attempts per game at 83.6. The Cavaliers rebounded from the loss with a 114-90 blowout of Detroit on Saturday.

On Monday night, the Boston Celtics will be in Ohio to face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers. For the game, they will have one of their best players in the ...

The Celtics have ruled out Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams III, Mfiondu Kabengele, Al Horford, Danilo Gallinari and JD Davison. Two-time NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown ...

CLEVELAND — By most statistical metrics, Derrick White has been one of the most valuable Celtics players on the roster this year.

And it’s just a matter of continuing to build those habits and that continuity in that.” So at the end of the day, if you coach for the Celtics, the number one goal is to win. “I think I’m making some of the same mistakes and I’m not making some of them,” Mazzulla said. I have to be a continuous learner regardless of how long I coach in this game. [Massachusetts online sports betting](https://www.masslive.com/betting/massachusetts/)is coming soon. “Number one, whether I coach for one year or 20 years I’m still going to make mistakes at year 20,” Mazzulla said. And so when we have the majority of our roster, balancing that out and trying to get the best players on the floor is important. [Pre-registration for mobile betting](https://www.ma.betmgm.com/en/p/king-of-sportsbooks?wm=7086263)in Massachusetts is live on BetMGM. “I was ready,” White said postgame. The 34-year-old acknowledged there will be growing pains along the way but he remains eager to learn from his missteps. [Celtics](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2023/03/celtics-injury-report-jayson-tatum-al-horford-and-others-out-for-cavaliers-game-monday.html) players on the roster this year. After a day of reflection, Joe Mazzulla admitted that decision was likely a mistake before Monday’s game against the Cavaliers.

A day after the Celtics lost to the Knicks, Joe Mazzulla put his hand up and blamed himself for a key decision he made in the loss.

Re-watching it today, definitely should have been moments where we could have had him on the floor. White, who has been one of Boston’s most consistent players, didn’t even see the floor in the first extra frame. “It’s probably a coaching fault of mine yesterday.

The Celtics forward had two free throws to win the game for Boston. He missed both.

The Celtics fell once again as Grant Williams failed the team miserably in a game-deciding moment against the Cavaliers on Monday night.

The Celtics will get an off day to prepare for Wednesday’s home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. FanDuel Sportsbook set the over/under on Smart’s 3-pointers made at 1.5 with -156 odds on the Over. On the bright side, the night spoke volumes to Boston’s depth once again. — With Jayson Tatum out, Brown was tasked with leading the offensive charge, which he did. [fourth-quarter trash talk](https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1632933354436964353) to Donovan Mitchell backfired at the free-throw line, resulting in an utter failure when the Celtics needed him the most. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla ran with the starting lineup of Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala, Marcus Smart, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown against a healthy Cavaliers team that’s taken the C’s to overtime twice in three prior matchups.

On Monday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting the Boston Celtics in Ohio. For the game, they will have their best player in the starting lineup, ...

The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Boston Celtics on Monday night in the second meeting between the teams in March, and the fourth and final matchup of ...

... Cleveland is set to begin a unique scheduling quirk in which the Cavs will play consecutive road games in Miami, Charlotte, Brooklyn and Orlando over the final month. “He changed the tone, the physicality, the effort.” “I just felt I could help with a little energy boost,” Stevens said. ... C Robert Williams is expected to miss up to 10 days with a hamstring strain. ... Smart celebrated his 29th birthday and Mazzulla credited the team's “emotional leader” with a “beautiful ability to control the game.” “There were some key vital plays that we missed, but we can't blame fatigue,” said Brown, who played 45 minutes after logging 47 on Sunday. Evan Mobley added 25 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavs, who improved to 7-0 in OT while avenging a loss in Boston five days ago. We shouldn’t have to rely on free throws. If I've got to play 47 minutes the next game, I'm down with it.” ... Coach Joe Mazzulla didn't provide specifics on Tatum's injury, but said he doesn't expect it to sideline him for long. We shouldn’t have let it get to that point. “There is no way we win that game without Lamar,” Cavs coach J.B.

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points and Lamar Stevens fueled Cleveland's fourth-quarter comeback with his hustle, leading the Cavaliers to a ...

… Smart celebrated his 29th birthday and Mazzulla credited the team’s “emotional leader” with a “beautiful ability to control the game.” … C Robert Williams is expected to miss up to 10 days with a hamstring strain. But Grant Williams missed two free throws with 0.8 seconds left and Boston’s Marcus Smart barely missed a tip-in at the horn.

Led by Jaylen Brown (32 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists), the Boston Celtics failed to prevail against the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime on the second ...

After jumping out to an early lead, the Celtics largely were in control for the rest of the evening before the late-game collapse, fueled by a Cavs 14-4 run. [Portland Trail Blazers](https://www.blazersedge.com) Wednesday night at home before embarking on a long road trip that will take them all over the country for 14 nights. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Darius Garland and some bad offense from the Celtics sparked a late Cavs run that stoked the fears of the Celtics’ habit of letting their foot off the gas. All of that set up for a Derrick White 3-pointer to luckily bounce in with 12.8 seconds left. [Boston Celtics](https://www.celticsblog.com) failed to prevail against the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.fearthesword.com) in overtime on the second night of a back-to-back after last night’s double-overtime loss to the [New York Knicks](https://www.postingandtoasting.com). Grant Williams (12 points) had an immediate impact in his minutes off the bench despite being the last rotation player to sub in. That’s a lot of added mileage on the season with a little under 20 games left to go. For the most part, the Cs were successful as they locked up Garland and forced Mitchell into some truly tough shots. Blake Griffin and Mike Muscala started in the frontcourt in place of Al Horford and Robert Williams. Boston shot the ball much better, and their defense was a lot cleaner despite featuring players who aren’t always in the rotation. Derrick White (12 points) stepped in for Jayson Tatum who missed the game with a left knee contusion. Boston tied the franchise record for overtime games in a single season with 11 such contests.

But then Williams' worst nightmare unfolded. He missed both free throws. Marcus Smart's inspiring tip-in attempt fell off the rim, sending the game to overtime.

With 16 games now remaining before the playoffs, this feels like an important moment in the Celtics’ season as they address their issues and figure out how to apply their lessons to a championship run. Mitchell finally heated up and gave the Cavs a one-point lead – their first since the opening quarter – with 24.7 seconds to go. “I think that’s really going to be the big thing for us. “What are you going to focus on? But with 18 seconds left, after Mitchell missed a jumper, Darius Garland came down with another Cavs offensive board. The Celtics built their double-digit lead behind an impressive offensive first half. The Celtics took a three-point lead in overtime but the Cavs responded with a 7-0 run, capped by a monster jam from Mitchell. But it was ultimately not enough – again – after their third overtime loss of the season against the Cavs. The C’s are continuing to slip at an inopportune time. They built another big lead behind a strong first half, led by as many as 15 and by double digits midway through the fourth quarter. “We did a lot of good things for a long time. When Donovan Mitchell stepped in front of him in an effort to ice him, Williams exuded confidence, appearing to mouth, “I’m gonna make both.”

The Celtics lost to the Cavaliers on Monday in their second consecutive overtime game as Grant Williams missed two last-second free throws.

There are myriad reasons to be concerned about the Celtics at this stage, but a blown double-digit lead on the second night of a back-to-back is less of a worry and more of an inevitability. “I was just talking to Blake, and we really need to win this game against Portland so we can leave Boston on a good note, on a positive note starting the road trip. The next few weeks are incredibly important for the Celtics — not just in their pursuit of the No. So going undefeated is the goal and the expectation.” 1 seed (which is slipping away a little bit at the moment), but also as they try to right the ship with the postseason approaching. Unfortunately, they appear to have a number of worthwhile projects on the horizon. Then the Celtics put the ball in Payton Pritchard’s hands, and he sped up the floor looking for a game-winning layup. Much was made on social media over the fact that the Celtics blew a double-digit lead once again, which just doesn’t seem like a valid concern at this point. Instead, Williams essentially cost the Celtics the game. The Celtics challenged the call, and referee Tony Brothers determined that the call on the floor was correct. Fans understandably grow frustrated watching what looked like a comfortable lead fall away, but how many times do we need to watch it happen in the NBA this season before we understand that leads aren’t really safe anymore? After a series of tough performances, it looked like the 24-year-old forward, who is due for a new contract after this season, might have a feel-good game to build some confidence back.

Lamar Stevens spent three quarters watching and waiting his turn. When it finally came, he didn't waste a single second. Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points ...

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla admits that sitting out Derrick White in crunch time proved costly during Boston's 2OT loss to the Knicks Sunday.

Unfortunately, a worn-out Celtics team was still unable to overcome Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers. During Monday’s game against the Cavaliers, it appeared Mazzulla learned his lesson. And that’s how you have to approach every day.” “Number one, whether I coach for one year or 20 years I’m still going to make mistakes at year 20,” Mazzulla said. We need him to be confident and aggressive on both ends.” “It’s probably a coaching fault of mine yesterday.

The shorthanded Celtics once again put up an impressive game on the road against a top-4 team in the East. But in a similar theme, the Celtics weren't able ...

But the shooting cooled in the second half as the Celtics only hit 3-of-22 of its 3s in the second half and overtime. But the Celtics couldn’t hit shots in overtime and they lost their third straight game. Boston and Cleveland have also played an overtime period in three of their four games this season with the Cavs winning all three of those games. The Cavaliers pulled away in overtime from there as the Celtics didn’t have enough juice. There were plenty of contributions across the board as the bench bounced back from a quiet performance against the Knicks. Donovan Mitchell continued to be one of the best players in the league with 40 points and 11 rebounds. But the Cavaliers quickly stormed back in the fourth quarter, forcing overtime with a little bit of luck involved in the process. Grant Williams’ missed free throws at the end of regulation ultimately hurt the Celtics as they couldn’t finish in overtime. They built up a double-digit lead in the first quarter, maintaining that advantage going into the fourth quarter. [Pre-registration for mobile betting](https://www.ma.betmgm.com/en/p/king-of-sportsbooks?wm=7086263)in Massachusetts is live on BetMGM. The shorthanded Celtics once again put up an impressive game on the road against a top-4 team in the East. Boston ran out of gas in overtime Monday, losing its third straight game to fall to 45-21.

The Boston Celtics are banged up and have blown major leads in two straight losses, yet head coach Joe Mazzulla isn't fazed.

To make matters worse, the Green Team [will be without Jayson Tatum](https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-injury-report-cavs) for their Cleveland showdown, and center Robert Williams III is out for the [next week](https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-robert-williams-iii-suffers-injury-after-scary-fall-vs-nets) or so as well. Prior to the All-Star break, Boston was in first place in the Eastern Conference. [tough Cleveland Cavaliers](https://clutchpoints.com/nba-odds-celtics-vs-cavaliers-prediction-pick-how-to-watch-3-6-2023) team on the road, a short turnaround from their lengthy home game from Sunday night.

Grant Williams missed two free throws that would've won the game for Boston.

While "almost" wins don't count for anything in the standings, the effort from [Malcolm Brogdon](/nba/players/1905262/malcolm-brogdon/) off the bench, in which he finished with 24 points, five assists and four rebounds, should be added to his portfolio for Sixth Man of the Year consideration. [Payton Pritchard](/nba/players/2268374/payton-pritchard/) managed to go coast-to-coast for a potential game-winning layup, similar to what Mitchell had done on the previous play. The officials had called a foul prior to the buzzer going off, giving Williams -- who's shooting almost 83 percent from the stripe season -- the chance to win the game at the foul line. While he missed the shot, the referees called a questionable late foul on Celtics forward [Grant Williams](/nba/players/2268528/grant-williams/), which was unsuccessfully challenged by Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla. After getting knocked off by the [New York Knicks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/NY/new-york-knicks/) in double overtime at home Sunday night, the team lost Monday's road game against the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/CLE/cleveland-cavaliers/) in overtime, once again, where they found themselves on the wrong end of a 118-114 outcome. [Derrick White](/nba/players/2844730/derrick-white/) got the friendliest of rolls on a 3-pointer to put Boston up 109-107 with 12.8 seconds left, [Donovan Mitchell](/nba/players/2842760/donovan-mitchell/) got downhill to the rim for an opportunity to tie the game.

Boston played well enough to control the first three quarters before falling in overtime to the Cavaliers.

[Donovan Mitchell](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/donovan-mitchell-c5XmTqu40nNV02JE/) drew a shooting foul with 5.8 seconds left, the Celtics challenged the call. Late in the loss to the Knicks, The [Kings](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/sac-kings/) sit in third place in the Western Conference. [Brooklyn](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/) and a 14-point lead against [New York](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/knicks/). He wants the players to think about what their peak level looks like as a team and how to maintain it. According to Brogdon, the two teammates spoke about the need to beat [Portland](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/blazers/) in Boston on Wednesday before leaving to begin a six-game trip Saturday in Atlanta. With the exception of the [Rockets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/rockets/), the rest of those opponents are in the mix at least for the Play-In Tournament if not the playoffs. [Derrick White](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/derrick-white-btl33fruaaNWhIrW/) said they need to get their swagger back. As we move forward, if we want to do what we want to do, this is the time where you improve, this is the time where you respond. [Atlanta](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/hawks/), the road trip will take the Celtics to Houston, [Minnesota](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/timberwolves/), Portland, Utah and Sacramento. Instead, Williams missed both of his free throws, Smart’s desperate putback attempt bounced off the rim and the Celtics went on to fall in their third overtime session over a 28-hour stretch. Even without [Jayson Tatum](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jayson-tatum-3O7MInr4zV5KKhZ5/), [Al Horford](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/al-horford-1bdxkLwov50QIyiQ/) and [Robert Williams](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/robert-williams-LEhMNrHYNoFDLqTs/), Boston executed well enough to control the first three quarters before falling in overtime to the [Cavaliers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/cavaliers/) 118-114.

Grant Williams was not lacking in confidence with the game on the line Monday night in Cleveland. But things backfired for the Celtics.

Got to be able to move on from it.” After Mitchell sank both of his free throws, Payton Prichard made Williams’ free-throw opportunity possible by racing up the court and attempting a layup at the rim. He didn’t miss them on purpose. Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Stay up to date with everything Boston.

The C's lost an excruciating fashion for the third consecutive game as they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 118-114. After blowing a 28-point lead ...