Boston Celtics Lose Third Straight to Hawks

The Boston Celtics went into the Atlanta Hawks game looking to avoid their second three game losing streak of the season. The Celtics had tough close loses on back to back nights against the Cavaliers and the Pistons and they knew things would not get easier against the Hawks.

Once again, the Celtics fought hard and the game was never out of reach but they fell just short. The Celtics have built an identity around their defense this year but this is now two games in a row it has failed them. The Celtics stole the ball from the Hawks just five times and lost the turnover battle horribly 12-21.

The Celtics did a great job limited the Hawks’ three point shooting but they sacrificed far too much in the paint. The Celtics overcompensated defending the three and gave the Hawks far too many easy baskets. The Hawks almost doubled the Celtics with 68 points in the paint and despite shooting 20% from three the Hawks managed to shoot just under 50% for the game.

The Hawks are one of the stronger offensive teams in the league but the Celtics did not play strong enough defense to win the game. The Celtics depend far too heavily on turnovers to lose that battle by 9 and it killed their game on both ends. The Celtics were never able to disrupt the Hawks enough and turnovers were the only thing holding them back on the offensive end.

The Celtics shot 43% from three point range and got to the free throw line 31 times but they gave away far too many possessions with their turnovers. It was the same story against the Pistons and the Celtics once again wasted away a great Isaiah Thomas game. Thomas finished with 29 points, 6 assists and he got to the charity stripe 15 times. Thomas’ offensive contributions kept the Celtics in the game but it is becoming abundantly clear that the Celtics cannot defeat top tier opponents without being at their best on the defensive end.

Dec 18, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) passes the ball around Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks found a weakness in the Celtics’ game and they exploited it to the fullest. The Celtics never adjusted in order to prevent the Hawks from killing them in the paint and the Celtics benefit too much from generating steals to have only 5 on the game.

The Celtics played solid offensively but had just 10 points in transition. The Celtics lost the offensive rebounding battle 6-9 and even though they shot well they did not have enough opportunities to score enough. The Celtics have won a lot of game through sheer volume of opportunities but the Hawks had 11 more shot attempts in this one.

The Celtics have wasted away two great shooting games in a row because of their defense and it is something that they will certainly be working on. The Celtics have been an inconsistent team this year but one area they need to be solid in every game is on the defensive end and in generating turnovers.

The Celtics are left just 1 game above .500 now and are a game and a half outside the playoff picture. The Celtics have a great opportunity to get back on track against the Minnesota Timberwolves but they need to start stringing together winning streaks.

The surprising part of this losing streak is how great the Celtics have been on offense, particularly from three point range. Too often the Celtics lost because of their inability to hit shots but now they have realized what they are capable on both ends. The Celtics have proven their defensive potential many times this year and with the offense flourishing things could really come together for the Celtics.

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They know that if they find the balance that they know they can have then they will be in a great position to beat even the best teams in the league. The Celtics are finally beginning to realize their potential but that makes these kinds of loses that much more frustrating. Standards for the Celtics have changed drastically this year but they now know that if they consistently play a balanced game they will stay relevant in the eastern conference.