The Boston Celtics are back to .500 on the season following their 113-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. They’re also 1-2 in the NBA Cup with a -20 point differential, which is the worst in East Group B.
Boston struggled with its three-point shot throughout the night, going 11-of-34. Derrick White was 1-of-7 from deep, while Payton Pritchard went 3-of-9 and Anfernee Simons 2-of-6. Brooklyn’s high-intensity defense, especially on the pick-and-roll, caused those struggles.
During his postgame news conference, Jaylen Brown made his feelings clear, challenging both himself and his teammates to improve moving forward.
“What’s my initial takeaway? Come ready to play or don’t come at all,” Brown said, via CLNS Media. “That’s my whole thing, we’ve got to come ready to play. We just went through the motions today, like, I don’t understand it.”
Brown ended the night as the Celtics’ top scorer. He had 26 points, along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. However, he found himself in foul trouble during the game, which affected his performance down the stretch.
The Celtics sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks, who occupy the final play-in tournament spot. Joe Mazzulla’s team still has plenty of time to climb the standings and push for the playoffs. However, the team must address the inconsistencies that continue to hold them back.
The Celtics’ next game is against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. The two teams are tied 1-1 on the season. It will be interesting to see whether the roster rises to Brown’s challenge or struggles to deal with the Magic’s physical style of play.
