Throughout 72 games, the Celtics have rarely deviated from their winning mindset. Despite already clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference and boasting the best record in the NBA, they continue to dominate their opponents, with an average margin of victory of 11.5 points per game.
On Monday night in Atlanta, it seemed like business as usual.
Despite Derrick White and Jrue Holiday sidelined, the Celtics were overpowering a shorthanded Hawks team missing seven key players, including Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okungwu, and Saddiq Bey.
A little over three minutes into the game, the Celtics had already built a double-digit lead, and by the 4:41 mark of the opening frame, Boston had already doubled up the Hawks on the scoreboard, building a 30-14 lead.
Behind 23 first-half points from Jayson Tatum, 15 from Kristaps Porzingis, and another 13 from Jaylen Brown, that lead ballooned to 30 points in the second quarter. This scenario was all too familiar for the Celtics, who have found themselves in similar commanding positions numerous times this season, holding more 30-point leads (16) than 10-point deficits (14).
Complacency hasn’t been an issue in these situations. True to their philosophy, the Celtics keep playing their game and don’t take their foot off the gas. However, Monday night was a rare exception. In fact, several times postgame, those very words “took their foot off the gas” were uttered.
“We were up 30 and kinda took our foot off the gas, and it cost us,” Brown said. “We got a little casual, we got a little distracted, and it cost us.”
“Tonight was, obviously, tough,” Tatum added. “We kinda let our foot off the gas in the second half, and they got into a great rhythm.”
While such lapses are rare for the Celtics, Monday night served as a sobering reminder of the consequences of complacency. They let their guard down, allowing laziness and distraction to set in, and ultimately paid the price by squandering a 30-point lead and succumbing to the Hawks 120-118.
Prior to Monday night, Boston had been 130-0 in the regular season since 1996 when leading by 30 points or more.
“I think it was just the margins,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame. “It’s a good lesson—when you let a team hang around. They made those margin plays: points off turnovers, three-pointers, offensive rebounds. Credit to them for battling back.”
The turnaround started at the end of the first half. The Hawks closed the first half on a 16-6 run, cutting Boston’s lead to 18. At the time, the run seemed harmless, but the Hawks came out swinging after the intermission, pushing the run to 30-7 and cutting the lead to three at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter.
Although the Celtics pushed the lead back up to 11 behind a solid third quarter from Payton Pritchard, that 30-7 run gave Atlanta all the juice they needed. Atlanta continued to claw back and outscored Boston 64-44 in the second half. Boston's 44 points in the second half matched their total from the first quarter alone.
“I thought we got some good looks that we missed,” Mazzulla said on what went wrong with the offense in the second half. “But I thought their physicality. They were extremely physical as soon as the ball got over half-court. I thought that messed up our offense. They made us work for everything. I thought they defended us pretty well, and I thought we missed some really good looks.”
Basketball is a delicate game. You have to play the game the right way and with the right intentions for an entire 48 minutes. The Celtics experienced the weight of this truth firsthand in last year’s postseason, and Monday night’s setback served as a stark reminder.
“Not overreacting,” Porzingis said on the biggest thing the Celtics can take from the loss. “It’s the NBA. These kind of things happen. We just don’t want to make this a habit. And it hasn’t been a habit for us. We slipped one game. We relaxed a little bit, and we paid the price.”
“You win, or you learn,” Porzingis added.
His assessment is accurate. This hasn’t been a common theme for the Celtics. Mental slippage is inevitable across an 82-game slate. And while you never want to be on the wrong end of a blown 30-point lead, this is a humbling reminder that winning a championship requires attention to detail night in and night out for an entire 48 minutes.
“We expect to win every game,” Porzingis said. “But I like that we have some bumps heading into the postseason.”
Overall, the Celtics have been tremendous at responding to and learning from their mistakes. They are an NBA-best 12-2 when coming off a loss this season. When the Celtics get together and watch the film in their Atlanta hotel, they should be able to extract some valuable information from this one.
“Stuff like this is good to watch, see, learn, inspire, and motivate,” Brown said after the game. “We need to learn from our mistakes, and, hopefully, that puts a battery in our back coming out next game.”
Here are four takeaways as the Celtics have their nine-game win streak snapped in Atlanta.
Beat at their own game
The Celtics have been dominant from beyond the arc this season, boasting an impressive +840 scoring advantage on the perimeter entering Monday night’s matchup. Their success from three-point range has often been a deciding factor, evident in their remarkable 44-4 record when they make more threes than their opponents.
It’s no secret that the three-pointer plays a pivotal role in today’s game, and on Monday night, the Hawks owned that area of the game. De’Andre Hunter, Viti Krejci, and Bogdan Bogdanovic each drained four triples, contributing to the team’s total of 18-of-36 (50%) from downtown.
In the second half, Atlanta shot 11-of-19 (57.9%).
In contrast, the Celtics struggled to find their rhythm, shooting a mere 1-of-15 (0.6%) from beyond the arc in the second half. Their lone made three-pointer tied a season-low for made triples in a half, resulting in a significant 33-3 deficit on the perimeter.
“That’s the weapon of the three-pointer,” Mazzulla said postgame. “They shoot 50% from three. It changes everything in the game. And we shot 28%.”
The Celtics finished the night shooting 11-of-38 (28.9%) from distance, dropping to 3-8 when they shoot below 30% from deep. Such instances are infrequent enough not to be a major concern, especially considering playoff series are seven games apiece.
Slowing down
The Celtics are at their best when they get out and run in transition. They got away from that in the second half, which showed with their 44 points.
This was glaringly apparent when Jayson Tatum committed an eight-second violation at the 8:26 mark of the fourth quarter after the Hawks took their first lead.
Slowing down the game is not conducive to the Celtics’ success, as was evident in their second-half performance on Monday night. Their offense appeared disorganized, resorting to isolation plays, which resulted in just four assists—their second-lowest total in the last ten years.
Boston had more turnovers (5) than assists in the second half.
Mazzulla frequently emphasizes the importance of connectivity within in the game, and Monday night’s game showcased how Boston’s defensive lapses impacted its offensive rhythm.
Late game execution
In the final 2:40 of the fourth quarter, the Celtics were outscored 11-6. With the loss, the Celtics dropped to 12-11 in one-possession games under two minutes and 4-7 now in games played within one point in the final minute.
Criticism surrounding the Celtics’ late-game execution is nothing new. Crunch-time situations have often been challenging for them, and improvement is needed in these crucial moments.
Part of the issue is the point mentioned above – slowing down.
After Dejounte Murray knocked down a reverse layup with exactly one minute left on the clock to give Atlanta a one-point lead, Jaylen Brown slowly dribbled the ball up the court. The Celtics drained the clock while nothing developed, forcing Jaylen Brown to jack up a contested 25-foot stepback three that clanked off the front rim.
Murray grabbed the rebound, worked some clock, and pulled up for an 18-foot jumper. The shot missed, but Clint Capela grabbed the rebound and kicked out to De’Andre Hunter – who could have run the clock out, forcing the Celtics to foul – instead, he jacked up a triple from the top of the key, sticking the dagger in the Celtics.
While the offensive rebound is unacceptable in that situation, it goes back to the prior possession.
Standing around and watching guys iso as the shot clock dwindles down the stretch has been too familiar for the Celtics.
In fairness, every team plays slower in the fourth quarter, and the reality is, in that situation, the best look you are going to get is a contested three-pointer or a fadeaway. However, with the weapons the Celtics have, they have the wiggle room to be slightly more creative. Moreover, statistics show that Mazzulla and the Celtics rank among the league’s best at scoring after a timeout.
Leveraging this skill, particularly in late-game situations, could prove beneficial for the Celtics moving forward.
Jaden Springer makes the most of his minutes
Since joining the Celtics from the 76ers at the trade deadline, Jaden Springer hasn’t logged many significant minutes off the bench. However, the 21-year-old made a notable impact in Monday night’s game, playing over eight minutes in the fourth quarter and delivering solid contributions.
While his stats may not stand out on the box score, tallying just two points, a rebound, and a block, the Tennessee product brought a defensive spark to the Celtics and a burst of energy.
“He brings great physicality, his ball pressure,” Mazzulla said after the game about what he saw from Springer. “It’s just an opportunity for him to grow, his physicality and his defensive presence.”
The 6-foot-4 guard’s physicality and consistent ball pressure were evident. You could certainly see why Brad Stevens made the move for the former first-round pick at the deadline, as he showed potential to be an elite defender.
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