Home: Celtics not giving ‘championship effort’ on protection initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Boston
The Boston Celtics could not get stops in Sunday’s 123-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers, and that has turn into a troubling development for the reigning NBA champions.
They’ve misplaced 4 of their final six video games largely because of their defensive woes. It appeared like they obtained again on observe in Friday’s blowout win over Indiana, however the Pacers shot 52.9 % from the ground with a whopping 66 factors within the paint throughout Sunday’s rematch.
Simply how regarding are Boston’s current defensive struggles? Former C’s guard Eddie Home did not maintain again whereas sharing his tackle Celtics Postgame Dwell.
“I feel we have taken a step again,” Home mentioned. “And I can say this: Defensively, I really feel like we aren’t engaged the best way that we must be engaged to win a championship. It has to begin taking place proper now. I am speaking about on an every-game foundation. That is the one factor that travels. The shot does not journey, however your protection does journey. We will not have these lapses.
“Do I nonetheless consider that we’re a championship crew? Sure. However do I feel that we’re giving championship effort on the defensive finish? I do not consider that.”
The Celtics had the second-best defensive score within the NBA (110.6) throughout their 2023-24 championship marketing campaign. By means of 32 video games this season, they rank eighth within the league with a 110.1 defensive score.
C’s coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the defensive struggles after Sunday’s loss.
“Once you’re not enjoying effectively defensively, that is on all people,” he mentioned. “That is on the employees, it is on the coaches, it is on the gamers. Simply obtained to proceed to work at it.”
A bounce-back sport on Tuesday vs. the lowly Toronto Raptors will probably be essential, as a result of the Celtics’ schedule will get grueling over the following week. After internet hosting Toronto, they’re going to head to Minnesota and start a four-game street journey out west that features matchups with the Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Denver Nuggets.
“I am really actually enthusiastic about it,” Mazzulla mentioned of the upcoming street journey. “It is gonna be enjoyable. It is gonna be nice.”
Tip-off for the Celtics-Raptors New Yr’s Eve showdown is about for 3 p.m. ET.
