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Celtics Wrap: Clippers Capitalize From Boston’s Brutal Shooting
LA takes it 91-82


NESN by Alexandra Francisco

The Boston Celtics are a team that desperately need to return to full strength.

They dropped their third straight after a 91-82 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers facing a similar amount of adversity as far as NBA

LA moves above .500 to 18-17 with the win, while Boston falls to 16-19.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Celtics have been brutal all season in the fourth quarter, and obviously the impacts of COVID-19 health and safety protocols only highlighted that. Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Dennis Schröder all were among the players missing in Boston’s rotation against the Clippers.

But in two consecutive games now, coach Ime Udoka has started the final frame with questionable lineups. Against the Clippers, it was Sam Hauser, Brodric Thomas and Romeo Langford who got run alongside Al Horford and Josh Richardson. In a six-point game (at the time) there’s just not a lot going on there unless your hunting for 3-pointers — which they did, rotating in Pritchard (0-for-5 from deep) to the tune of a 9.5% average all game. ISO Joe Johnson did not make an appearance.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Robert Williams now has put together three-consecutive strong performances, on Wednesday putting up a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double. Throw in two blocks and an assist for good measure.

— A case could have been made for Josh Richardson to start the game Wednesday over Pritchard or Langford, and in his first game back from protocols had six points, two rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.


— It wasn’t his day from deep, but Jaylen Brown gave Boston a fighting chance with 30 points, seven rebounds and two steals.


WAGER WATCH
With Boston without much of its offensive core, there was money to be made on LA’s bettors odds with DraftKings Sportsbook favoring the Celtics at -6 against the spread and -235 moneyline before the game. A $100 bet on the Clippers to win would payout $190.


UP NEXT
The Celtics remain home to host the Phoenix Suns in a New Year’s Eve matinee, with tip-off at 1 p.m. ET.

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So the Celts register 19 assists on 35 shots and JB attempts 36 field goals making 13 of them.

I also want to register that it was JB who first picked up the fight with Irving, JB got into the shouting match with Smart in the bubble and it was JB that seemed most vocal about hiring a black coach. I also I see him barking at others when it looks like he messed up. JB is also involved with the players union.

I am waiting for the Celts to get better and hoping that they do. Until then, I am concerned about JB’s fit on the team. Perhaps his self perception or or agenda is a little too grandiose.

While Jaylen hasn’t been perfect, very few John Havlicek’s around, Kyrie has been a cancer/primadonna at every stop. Smart’s offensive game has a ton of holes in it, we all have no idea what or if they were arguing about. If someone had to break the news to Smart to change things up, that might have been a good thing.

Let's start with the 4-42 from 3-ville. I have not watched the game nor probably will I, but either LAC really defended us well and the players should have figured that out early on and driven to the wide open lane or our new coach is an idiot for letting the Brick Brigade continue to that level for that long and not switching things up or the Clips just left us wide open and dared us in which we couldn't throw it in the ocean 5 miles out to sea. Which one was/is it? That's not even awful. I'm going to have to find a word or words to describe just that number alone and what's behind it.

How about complete and total incompetence all around? That's a good start. My fatass could have shot 4-42 from behind the arc blindfolded with one arm and one leg tied behind my back. There's absolutely no excuse for that kind of horrific performance especially on the professional level no matter what COVID is doing. None.

db

I'm going the other way.  I'm not as upset about this loss as I have been about recent ones.  What have we been asking for from our Celtics during these troubled times?  

1.  More energy.  Our energy level was pretty good last night.  We took 101 fgas in 48 minutes.  
2.  More ball movement.  Our ball movement was as good last night as I've seen.  Lots of passing generating lots of open looks.
3.  More cutting, more player movement.  There were cuts from Grant, from Romeo, from Thomas.  Lots of off-the-ball movement last night.

So we got all the things we've been calling for.  Unfortunately we got them in the same game we couldn't shoot from 3, and the 3ball is the name of the game now. And yet, despite this, this was a close game and that's remarkable too.

4-42 from 3.  9.5%.  That is I believe an NBA record, and not in a good way.

Horford 0-7.  Brown 1-13.  Pritchard 0-5.  Langford 0-3.  RWill doesn't take 3s.  There's 1-28 from our starters.  Hauser was 1-3, which would be weak on any other night but was glorious in this game, and Grant Williams who shot 2-3 from 3.  Grant is now tied with Joe Harris of the Nets for 2nd place for 3pt fg% @ 46.6%, and Grant has taken more than Harris.  Who had Grant Williams becoming one of the top 3pt shooters in the league on their bingo card?

Pritchard, our designated shooter, was 2-10, 0-5 from 3, which means he sucked from everywhere on the court.  I liked his defense early on, he really stayed on Kennard, but was constantly trailing his man over pics the 2nd half.  NOT good defense later in the game.

2-way player Broderic Thomas got his shot last night.  Not a great shooting night, 1-5, but he worked hard.  Had 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 14 minutes.  He didn't look lost nor awed.  Not surprising since he played for Houston and Cleveland last year, had almost 400 career NBA minutes coming in.  His 3pt buzzer beater was just barely on his fingertips at the half and got waved off.  Those 3 point might have come in handy.  If Schroder's gone I predict he'll be around a lot more.  6'5" and a 6'11" wingspan makes him good-sized for a guard.

The real shining light last night was Williams.  He kept us in this game despite our execrable shooting.  16 points, 14 rebounds with 10 of them offensive.  Those 10 offensive rebounds kept us close.

Marcus Morris Sr. shot lights out in the 1st quarter, 12 points.  He had 14 at the half.  Then Ime put Horford and RWill on him defensively and he cooled right down, shooting 2-9 in the 2nd half.

When Marcus Morris Sr. is the best player on the court for either team you know COVID has diluted the quality of the NBA's product down to where it's slightly better than G-League.  Nobody wants to shut it down again but this isn't high quality basketball, and I'm not just talking about this game.  People want to see the top players in the world and they're not getting that.  Before the game started I saw Celtics and Clippers hugging at half court.  You can't help being around your teammates, you share locker rooms, gyms, you practice together, but you don't need to swap breath vapor with people you only see twice a year.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401360337


Bob


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OK.  BobH.  You've convinced to me to at least watch the game!!  Good points.  

db

This team needs 2 snippers that can fill the basket now. I do not care if they are soft on defense, you can teach that.

That is where you start your rebuilding process. The 2 J's are as hot and cold shooting like the climate change weather we are experiencing.

Wishing for something gets you no where but a migraine headache with this team.

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