The Way The Celtics Have Shit Themselves To Put Their Season On Life Support Is Completely Unfathomable

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I just…..cannot believe it. It's like we're stuck in this horror movie and there's no way to escape it. I don't even know if that makes sense, my brain has been much for like 12+ hours. My entire body is in shock as I still try and even process what just took place and how the hell it could even be possible.

Two losses, at home, following the same exact script, basically to the minute and the actual plays of how each game unfolded to the point where legitimately, Games 1 & 2 were carbon copies of each other. Back to back historic situations where 99.9% of the time it doesn't happen, yet it somehow happened. Twice. At home. It took 45 missed 3PA to lose by 3 in OT in Game 1. Unreal. Then the next game, it took 14 missed 4th quarter shots to lose by 1. Just think about that for a fucking second.

45 missed 3s. 14 straight 4th quarter misses. 

That's impossible. You can't do that if you TRY, and here the Celts are doing it in back to back games at home. I'm just….in shock

And while there will be a lot of shit you'll hear these next few days like "FIRE JOE!!! or "TRADE THE JAYS", at this point, just let it happen. They deserve every bit of slander and irrational bullshit that's coming their way for the foreseeable future, because that is the price for doing what the Celtics just did. 

But here, in this blog, I'd like to focus on the reality. You may not want to accept it or read it, but the Celtics situation is pretty clear. 

Since the 2-2-1-1-1 format in 1984, teams that drop the first 2 games at home to open a series are 4-24 all time. Below is how things break down. This is the Celtics new reality

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Win the series if you win Game 3: 4-9 

Win the series if you win Game 3 & 4: 4-3 

Win the series if you win Game 3 & lose Game 4: 0-6 

Win the series if you lose Game 3 & win Game 4: 0-5

Essentially, they either go into MSG and win both, or they become the first team in history in the 2-2-1-1-1 format to come back after dropping the first two games and win a series with a split. If they drop Game 3, it's the first team ever to come back from 3-0.

If this were any other team, we would say their season is on life support. Now, due to their own play and inability to close out 20 point leads at home, the Celtics' season is on life support. Not dead, but the odds are most certainly not in their favor, and it's all because of their own doing. This isn't a case of the Knicks coming into Boston and completely outplaying the Celtics in dominant fashion. No, no. The Celtics are in this position because they choked. Twice. Top to bottom and in every which way. The coach, the best players, the role players, the bench players, everyone. Twice.

My blood is still boiling, so let's just get right into it. I may not make it by the end of the blog, but as is tradition, we blog through it together.

The Good

- Are you out of your fucking mind? Keep scrolling.

The Bad

- OK, where do we begin? There's a lot to get to so I'm not really sure where to start because all of it makes me so fucking angry. I suppose we can get this out of the way now so we can focus on other stuff later.

This was a disasterclass performance from Joe Mazzulla.

Now, whenever it comes to coach responsibility vs players responsibility in a game like this, you're never going to get a general consensus. No "adjustments" or "plays" a coach can call are going to matter if the players do not execute. It was not Joe Mazzulla who missed 21 shots in the paint and at the rim. It was not Joe Mazzulla who bricked WIDE OPEN 3 AFTER WIDE OPEN 3. If the players have even slightly better execution, this isn't a discussion.

HOWEVAH, that does not absolve Joe from his performance. His issues came in the high leverage situations, and for me, come down really to 2 things.

1. The intentional fouls on Mitchell Robinson with 2:43 to go in the game when the Celtics had 3 fouls to give

2. The last possession

Let's start with the fouls. I'm sorry, I understand Mitchell Robinson is a +32 in the series and is the only player making an impact while he's on the floor. I get that. I just don't give a fuck. I've spent hours and hours trying to understand this thought process…..and I just can't get there. 

Intentional fouling is fine…..if you're in the bonus. What I struggle to understand about this move is the fact that you were nowhere near the bonus with 2:43 left in the game. By that point of the 4th quarter, the Celtics had just 2 fouls and a 4 point lead. Immediately after those intentional fouls, the Celts allowed a 4th quarter OREB which turned into a KAT AND1 foul. That brought the foul total to 5, putting the Celtics in the bonus the rest of the way.

Why did that matter? Because on the final possession, when you are trying to get a stop with 18 seconds left, you had 0 fouls to give. There's a strong chance that if you take out those intentional fouls, the Celts go into that final stand with a foul to give. If that's the case, you can give it well before Brunson makes his move, reset, force them into another play, and maybe something happens. Instead, the Jrue foul put Brunson on the line because they were in the bonus (plus it was a shooting foul), and that was the game. Like right here, if you have a foul to give in this spot, you give it and it prevents Brunson from getting the leverage on the spin, which had Jrue out of position and forced to foul.

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To me, this was just Mazzulla WILDLY overthinking things. How about you just box out Mitchell Robinson and figure out a way to win the game? Why would you willingly make your life harder defensively if you don't have to? Perhaps there are smarter people than me out there who can see how this made any sense, but I just don't get it.

This was the second time in as many games that the Celtics made a play to have a 1 point lead in the final seconds. For the second straight game, they were unable to get the final stop.

Then of course, there was the final play.

Initially, I have no problem not taking a timeout immediately following the FTs. See if you can get out on the break and get an advantage going down hill. That's fine. There was plenty of time on the clock to bail on that if things didn't work out initially.

When Tatum got here, is where Joe's mistake showed up

Once it was clear there was no advantage, you have to blow this dead. It's easy to say in hindsight sure, but the whole point of letting them play was to try and catch them in a scramble, once the Knicks showed to not be in a scramble, stop that plan and go with something else. 

I get there's something to be said about trusting JAYSON TATUM with the ball and his decision making, but there's also nothing wrong with taking your time, collecting yourself, and having a plan in those final 7 seconds as opposed to what we got. The fact that it ended with a Bridges steal like that after what happened in Game 1? I mean what the fuck is going on?

So while the players' execution down the stretch is at the very top of the list for me when it comes to this collapse, Joe Mazzulla's end of game approach is up there. 

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- Up next, I'd like to focus on what I consider the two most important stretches of the game, and the root of this eventual loss. 

The first stretch game in the final 3:12 of the 3rd quarter. You'll remember this as when KP hit that prayer 3PM to put the Celtics up 73-53 with 3:12 left in the quarter. From that moment on? The Celtics did not score again. It all started with the fumbled fast break

Then came the back to back White misses on clean looks, following by a missed KP putback, followed by a KP offensive foul. After each one of those mistakes, the Knicks scored. A McBride dunk and a Hart 3PM (just like OG's in Game 1). Even after all that, the Celts were still up 15 points with 1:05 left in the quarter. Then, we had the Tatum turnover

Which was immediately followed by a McBride 3PM. Boom, momentum officially shifted. Listen, we all want Tatum with the ball and him to be making the decisions, but those miscues on his passes are what gave the Knicks life. Sure Jaylen has to catch that ball, but just lob it. The TO to KP on that lob, that pass wasn't even close considering KP is basically dead and can't jump. Those small plays add up, and just like in Game 1 when they built their 20 point lead and immediately gave up a 7-0 run to let the Knicks back in it, last night it was an 8-0 run.

How you close quarters means everything in the playoffs, and for the second straight game the Celts were completely horrendous.

The second stretch for me came in the non-Tatum minutes in the 4th quarter. He went to the bench with a 14 point lead and 8:27 to go. This is how things went

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Those 4 misses from deep?

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I'd say the 2nd one from Pritchard you don't "love", but it's also Payton Pritchard who had already made a big three in that quarter. I'll also mention the other two shots were a Jaylen missed paint fadeaway and a missed Al Horford bunny in the paint.

Those pictures have basically been the story of the first two games. Those are GREAT LOOKS for guys that make wide open shots all the time. For whatever reason, nobody can make a fucking shot.

Even with all that, a 9 point lead with 5:05 left and Tatum coming back in is a situation you have to close out. Period. Instead, 1-8, 0-3). All that talk about don't take open 3s and take contested 2s instead? How would you say that worked out over the final 5:05??

This is where you can only put so much of this performance on the coach. At the end of the day, the PLAYERS have to execute, and I'm not just talking about the role guys. Your BEST players have to come through both in terms of their ball security and their shot making. Well, from 3:12 of the 3rd quarter to the end of the game, this was the performance of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

They were a combined 1-10 (0-4). I'm sorry, that is where the majority of the blame needs to be.

To me, those two stretches were the game. If you even make 1 or 2 shots in either one, we're not here this morning. I think I'm going to be fucking sick.

- If that doesn't make you sick, I have some numbers to show you that surely will. Again, this blog is about telling the truth. I want you to look at these numbers and ask yourself if this is even remotely acceptable

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This is the December/January skid all over again. The ENTIRE roster is a collective brick. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY can make a fucking jumpshot.

34/19% for Jaylen? 34/29% for White? 28/25% for Tatum? 22/10% for Al? 

Again, at some point the players have to execute. This isn't coaching, this is the players sucking ass. 

Don't worry, it gets worse.

Remember entering this series the idea was that with the Celtics not playing as aggressive and physical a defense as the Magic that their offense would open up? Well what if I told you the exact opposite has happened, from every single zone

Please take your time and read those numbers again. Under 70% at the rim, 30% at the paint, 27% at midrange, 21% from the corners and 25% above the break. How does that compare to the ORL series which was a much tougher defense? I'm glad you asked

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vs ORL:

- 78.4% in the restricted area

- 34.8% in the paint

- 42.1% in the midrange

- 39% in corner 3s

- 38.7% in above the break 3s

LOOK AT THAT SHIT. 

If we compare that to their regular season production from those zones?

- 70% in the restricted area

- 45% in the paint

- 41% in midrange

- 38.9% in corner 3s

- 36.5% in above the break 3s

This is what people always seem to overlook because they by default just complain about 3P volume.  LOOK AT THE PAINT/RIM/MIDRANGE PRODUCTION. It's not just 3s, it's everything. Just like it was in the Dec/Jan skid.

- If that didn't do the trick for you, how about this? You just witnessed the 2 worst shooting performances of the Celtics season. I'm not kidding. 

Notice what dates these two games are around? The back to back 25% from three? One fo the worst showings of the year as well

What an unreal time for this to take place, and when you realize the majority of the Celts looks were either wide open 3s or plays in the paint, it makes it even more infuriating. JUST BE NORMAL.

In the regular season, the Celtics shot 57% on 2pt FGA. Against the Magic, they shot 53%. Against the Knicks? Just 47.3%

So this idea that 2s are the answer for everything? That most certainly hasn't been the case this series, but of course, everyone will just talk about the 3pt shooting. When in reality, they've been ass in every facet of offense imaginable.

- OK, let's revisit the 3 Pillars Of Playoff Pain again shall we? As we know, every single Celtics playoff game basically comes down to those 3 areas

1. Outside shooting

2. Defensive rebounding

3. Turnovers

How did they do?

1. Went 10-40 from deep

2. Allowed 6 OREB and 8 2nd chance points in the 4th quarter alone

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3. Finished with 16 TOs and 14 points allowed off TOs

0-3. Is anyone surprised they lost? You shouldn't be. The Knicks had just 4 OREB all game, and managed 6 in the 4th by doing the same thing we saw in Game 1. Josh Hart crashing. KAT grabbing boards over Horford. Those are the margins that are how you find yourself in this position. For the second straight game, the Celts were awful at the details and for the second straight game they got burned. 

- At this point, I don't even know what to do about KP. You feel like an asshole because he's clearly dealing with something, but at the same time he's been brutal even when he has been on the floor. His absence and lack of production is proving to be pretty significant given the extra wear and tear it's putting on Al Horford, who unfortunately finished 2-11 (0-5) and looked every bit his age. That's not even his fault so I can't even be mad at him for it, the whole idea was that KP could be there to take some of that workload off Al's plate.

The Celts were able to survive not having KP last year, but this year it's been the exact opposite. The scoring droughts, the lack of FTs during those droughts, those are all things that KP was brought in to solve. There's a reason this looks like the 2023-pre KP version of the Celtics, because that's how they are playing. The guy brought in to fix those issues isn't doing it, so naturally things look the same.

- Derrick's lost his shot. Just like in Dec/Jan and I honestly can't believe it. Pretty much all of his looks are clean, yet nothing drops. 

- OK, let's get to the worst stuff (if you can believe things get worse)

The Ugly

- We'll begin with Jayson Tatum. I don't even know what to say. Watching him in this game was like seeing a player who was impacted by the noise. All this talk about how he needs to stop taking 3s and take contested 2s clearly fucked his head up and you could see it from the opening tip. He wasn't confident, his decision making with the ball wasn't purposeful, he played unsure of himself and what he should do.

Basically, it was the exact opposite of how he needs to play. Do people finally understand why his 3pt shooting is so important? How did the spacing look last night when teams didn't have to worry about him taking 3s? Paint was pretty clogged right? The Celtics are now 24-20 in the playoffs when he takes 5 or fewer 3PA and 57-34 when he takes more. There is nothing wrong with his shot profile. You know what there is a problem with? This shot profile

Let's face it, in a game like this where your season is basically on the line, your best player has to step up and produce. That's the job. Instead, he was passive for way too long, didn't bend the defense, and finished with 13 points on 5-19 (1-5). Just 1-5 in the 4th quarter, this was easily one of the worst overall Tatum playoff performances we've ever seen. Usually when he has a stinker like this early, he snaps out of it in the 4th. We've seen that time and time again.

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Last night? Awful from minute 1 to minute 48 and it's simply inexcusable.

- But let's not act like Jaylen should be let off the hook either. He's the other franchise player. It's on him to step up as well, and we got a brutal 8-23 (2-7) with 6 TOs. Once again, we saw Jaylen drive into traffic and lose the ball with live ball turnovers. Game 1, he was falling asleep off ball defensively. Game 2, he couldn't make a shot, especially from 2s. So many paint misses, so many layup misses, combined with his turnovers, it's just nowhere close to good enough.

Again, Tatum/Brown were 1-10 (0-4) once the Celts went up 20. This is on them.

- Are we ready to talk about that 4th quarter? 

A 12 point lead entering the final frame. A 12 point lead with 7:05 to go. A 9 point lead with 5:05 to go. You can't close that out? Am I being Punk'd? 

I don't even know what to make sense of what you're about to see. Below is a picture of the entire rosters' 4th quarter production in this series

There is not a single Celtic on the roster who has made more than 2 FGM in the 4th quarter……in 2 games. For context, Brunson/Bridges have made a combined 12.

14 straight missed shots in the 4th, this team went 8 FUCKING MINUTES without making a basket until the Tatum dunk with a minute left. LOOK AT THIS

How do you even describe that? How is this even possible? I've been searching for answers since the final buzzer and I keep coming up empty. This should be impossible, yet it's our reality.

So look, it's simple. The Celts are now going to need a bit of a prayer to keep their season and title hopes alive, all because they couldn't hold onto 20 point leads late in the 3rd quarter. In back to back games. I honestly can't even believe it. I'm numb. 

From here, it's one game at a time. Win Game 3, start to make the Knicks sweat and just hope for the love of God you can just be normal, because their normal is clearly good enough. Unfortunately, it might be too late.