Boston Celtics: 3 Takeaways from Cs loss to the Pelicans

The Boston Celtics are now 15-15 on the season after a very disheartening loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on sunday afternoon. They led by as much as 24 points, and it was looking like a runaway victory. What makes everything worse is that the team came out the gates hot, continuing a streak after a blowout win versus the Hawks…but profoundly faltered in the second half.

As the fourth quarter came, things got out of control, Zion Williamson was unstoppable, Brandon Ingram couldn’t miss, and the Pelicans came storming back. From the point of the C’s biggest lead, the 6:29 mark of the 3rd quarter, the Pelicans outscored Boston 65-36.

Of those 65 points, Pelicans star duo Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram had 40 combined points. This means from halfway through the 3rd quarter, to the end of the OT, Zion and Ingram outscored the Celtics singlehandedly. This is absolutely inexcusable play.

Boston has been one of the worst fourth-quarter teams this season, but getting outmatched like this is beyond belief. How do two players outscore your entire team over the last 23 minutes of the game?

The play from our second and third options was unjustifiable as well. Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker went a combined 12-44 from the field, and 4-22 from beyond the arc. Albeit, Tatum was not all too efficient himself, but still hit clutch baskets, and ended the night with 32. This included the shot to send the Cs to overtime with 0.2 seconds left in regulation.

This game was truly the embodiment of the Boston Celtics’ issues on the season, leading us to these three takeaways from the loss to the Pelicans.