Three issues from Celtics-Hawks #2

Two video games in Georgia, two losses for the Boston Celtics. Their two losses to the Atlanta Hawks mark simply the third time this season that they’ve misplaced two video games in a row.

Reasonably than blowing a 30-point lead, as they did on Monday, Thursday’s loss was outlined by a scarcity of rebounding and Dejounte Murray’s monster efficiency. He dropped a career-high 44 factors on 44 pictures.

The sport went to extra time, however Boston wasn’t capable of come up clutch when it mattered. They shook up their late-game offense in extra time, however it wasn’t sufficient, as Murray hit a dagger with 0.1 seconds remaining.

As was the case on Monday, we’ll go along with two negatives and a optimistic for these three issues.

Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures

1. Ball-watching on the glass

Atlanta grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and scored 28 second-chance factors in a sport they received by one. That’s a recipe for catastrophe for those who’re the Celtics.

A number of the rebounds the Hawks received had been a results of dangerous luck. Three-point pictures bounced weirdly off the rim, resulting in lengthy rebounds, and there was even an airball blended in. However others had been a results of poor effort.

The place was Kristaps Porzingis occurring this play? He was chopping off a Murray drive that wasn’t even near forming but, and as soon as the Hawks guard received by Derrick White, everybody else on the Celtics stood nonetheless. Nobody even tried to hit the glass.

Sam Hauser performs nice protection on this play, however De’Andre Hunter soars in for an offensive board utterly uncontested. He was Jrue Vacation’s project, however Vacation utterly misplaced him on the perimeter, and the remainder of the Celtics are simply watching, too.

Boston really will get this rebound, however the ball-watching persevered. Porzingis and Jaylen Brown stand over Murray’s physique and watch the ball as an alternative of preparing for a board. The ball nearly will get all the best way to Murray on the bottom earlier than any Celtic touches it.

This was essentially the most brutal offensive board of the sport. White fights his hardest towards Hunter, and a few of it was dangerous luck, however the Celtics simply can’t let this occur. Bogdan Bogdanovic reaps the reward, ties the sport, and Boston finally loses in extra time.

Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures

2. Missed defensive rotations

For as dangerous because the Celtics had been on the glass on this sport, in addition they had a few brain-fart moments on protection.

There’s merely zero communication right here. Hunter is free to roam the three-point line as Brown and Vacation fail to execute no matter defensive protection the Celtics are in.

Then, as the sport progressed, the Celtics’ protection on Murray wasn’t as dangerous as marketed. However there was one possession that made it appear as if they left him open all evening.

Murray had been torching the Celtics all evening, and but by some means, he’s huge open for a 3 with two minutes left in extra time. How?

White and Porzingis entice Bogdanovic on the drive, however when he kicks it again out to Vit Krejci, Vacation and Porzingis each react.

Considered one of two issues ought to have occurred. Both the Celtics ought to have lived with a late Porzingis close-out on Krejci, or Brown ought to have rotated out to Murray, and Jayson Tatum ought to have coated two within the paint lengthy sufficient for Porzingis to get again, which he was doing.

As a substitute, Brown stayed put, two went to Krecji, and Murray received an open look. This simply can not occur at this level within the sport, particularly with how sizzling Murray was.

Photograph by Scott Cunningham/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

3. Horns set seems nice

Boston’s final-shot offense was tough, however for the primary jiffy of crunch time in regulation, they regarded stable. They had been operating quite a lot of actions out of their Horns units, with White because the ball-handler and Tatum and Brown working on the elbows.

Having the most effective decision-maker on the crew begin the play and get it to the 2 greatest gamers looks like the most effective plan of action for Boston, even when the opposite crew defends it nicely.

White ran the present for a protracted stretch within the ultimate jiffy, however Boston went away from him on the ultimate performs of regulation and extra time. Why?