Celtics ‘try hard’ at the end, still lose 102-91 to Dallas

Feb 9, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) shoots the ball against Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Monta Ellis (11) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics have perfected the art of tanking and making it not look like you’re actually tanking. It’s not a very easy craft to master but the Celtics definitely know how to do it.

In their quest to extend their 3 game winning streak, Boston was stumped in how to figure out how to put the orange ball into the hoop thingy. It was quite a sight to behold, they shot 27% at the end of the 1st half. TWENTY-SEVEN PERCENT. I know I shouldn’t be surprised at their offensive ineptitude, but it was quite a wreck. They finished the night shooting 35% which is nothing short of a miracle.

As always Rondo’s improvement is the silver lining in a pretty bad loss. Finishing the night with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists, I think it’s safe to say that Rondo is close to, if not, back to his old self. His speed and mobility look great, and his jumper is looking good as well. Stevens also announced in the postgame interviews that Rondo is officially off the minutes restriction and that was evident when he logged his 37th minute, which was the most he’s played all season. Stevens also reminded reporters that the no back-to-back rule is still in place for the time being but said that it could be lifted soon. Rondo finally seems comfortable out on the court and while it’s evident that his supporting cast is really not up to par with his talent he’s still ready and willing to try and improve this team’s short-term fortunes.

I wanted to get the nice stuff out of the way before I call out the other players and say some not-so-nice stuff.

Let’s play ‘Guess Whose Statline it is!’

2-13 FG, 5 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 0 blocks.

If you guessed Avery Bradley you were correct and you also probably watched the game and saw how awful he looked out there. Now I like Avery, I really do. He seems like a very nice guy and I know the effort is there constantly but come on this is the guy that some fans want to pay $8 Million PER YEAR. I just can’t wrap my head around that. I know this is kind of conformation bias and a very small sample size this is really his complete game in a microcosm. He’ll have some game where he shoots well but doesn’t really do much else except for his signature defense, then he’ll have games like this. I can understand bad shooting nights but at least get to the line or cause some turnovers.

Alright here’s another statline,

4-7 FG, 4-4 3pt FG, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2-2 FTs, 1 assist, and 1 steal

Now here’s a guy who needs some more playing time. Oh yeah it’s Chris Johnson.

No one could stop Dirk, either, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone with a working knowledge of both teams. #TheEnd

Follow us on Twitter for more Celtics coverage