Over the last seven weeks, they’re 12-10.
In their last 20 games, they’re 10-10.
They’ve gone 7-5 in January.
5-5 in their last 10.
Their longest winning streak during this stretch? Three games. They’ve won back-to-back games just three times.
What many have chalked up as “malaise” or a passing rough patch is beginning to look like something more. The Celtics’ 19-4 start now hangs under a dark cloud, overshadowed by a 22-game stretch of .500 basketball. Thursday night’s 117-96 loss to the Lakers was the latest reminder. The 21-point defeat was Boston’s largest of the season and marked their fourth double-digit loss since the calendar turned. Before that, they hadn’t lost by double digits all season.
“It is tough. Lakers vs. Celtics is one of the biggest matchups. Ideally, you wouldn’t want that to be on the back-to-back and coming off of an overtime game,” said Jaylen Brown. “But, it is what it is. We’re not making any excuses. They just had more energy than us tonight. We were flat, and you could see it.”
You can point to the second night of a back-to-back, the fifth game in seven nights, or even the unnecessary five minutes of overtime just 10 miles down the road at the Intuit Dome the night before—all valid points.
It didn’t help that shots weren’t falling again, with Kristaps Porzingis as the only Celtic shooting above 50%. Jaylen Brown was 7-for-19, Jrue Holiday was 1-for-6, and Derrick White and Al Horford were both 1-for-5. Payton Pritchard struggled too, shooting 2-for-12 off the bench, while Jayson Tatum attempted a season-low 12 shots. As a team, the Celtics shot 35-of-91 (38.5%) from the field and 14-of-41 (34.1%) from three. Over their last 10 games, they rank 25th in field goal percentage (43.7%) and 26th in three-point percentage (33.2%). All four of their lowest-scoring games have come during this stretch.
On the other hand, the Lakers played one of their best games of the season. Six players finished in double figures, five made at least two three-pointers, and the team hit 15 triples at a 42.9% clip—this from a squad that entered the night 27th in made threes and 19th in percentage.
“Give them credit,” Jayson Tatum said. “They played better than us and deserved to win tonight.”
Too often, that’s been the case—another team outplaying the reigning champs. The inconsistency is a problem. For a team that holds itself to a championship standard, bad losses, and uninspiring wins can’t be brushed aside. Yes, winning a title buys them some benefit of the doubt, but at some point, that leeway runs out.
They’ve been clear in their messaging: last year is last year. All the habits and identities they built a season ago must be rebuilt. So far, we’ve seen flashes of it, but nowhere near the level it needs to be for a team with title aspirations.
“The process. What did we do well? Whether we win or lose, just trying to focus on that,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “That’s how you gain the consistency, regardless of the result.”
They’re 31-14, holding the third-best record in the NBA, and the only team in the top five in both offensive and defensive ratings. So, there’s no reason to panic yet. They’ve shown they can do it, but the inconsistency can’t be overlooked. The regular season is about building those solid habits—the same habits that led to Banner 18. Relying on simply flipping a switch come playoff time is a dangerous gamble.
The Celtics have all the talent – and seemingly the confidence – to turn things around. Now, they have to commit to it.
“To be honest, I feel like we are starting to play better. I think we’ll be fine,” Porzingis said after the loss. “I just feel it. I feel how we are. I’m getting into my rhythm, and we’re finding a rhythm as a team. Nights like this happen. It happened last year, and it’s happening this year a little bit more, but I don’t think we’re too far from where we need to be. We just have to keep our heads down, keep on working, and I believe we’ll peak at the right moment.”
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