Okay, let’s try this again Boston Celtics fans.
Three nights ago, for the opening contest of the NBA season’s second half, I penned a piece about why the C’s nationally televised contest against the Nets was a must-win game. Needless to say, just because a game is a must-win, doesn’t mean that the good guys “must-win”.
To make matters worse, following the loss, Brooklyn superstar Kyrie Irving had to once again take the low road to take shots at the media:
Kyrie Irving on hugging former Celtics teammates postgame: "Big surprise, huh, to a lot of people. All that shit-talking about me and all the relationships I have with every teammate of mine. I’m glad we get to see it every single game that I’ve got some great people out here.”
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 12, 2021
The game was extra personal considering Wyc Grousbeck’s recent comments praising Irving and calling his departure a key reason why the Celtics are struggling this year. After pouring in 40 points against Boston, he was certainly the reason for their struggles on Thursday night.
That loss now creates a troubling situation for tonight. While the Houston Rockets–the league’s third-worst team record-wise–are not exactly a gatekeeper to initiation to the contenders club, a loss would be catastrophic.
Here are 5 specific reasons HH sees tonight’s game as a must-win as well:
Reason #1 why the Boston Celtics must win tonight: Descending playoff seed
Instead of attempting the climb up the standings in their first game back, the Cs put themselves in a situation where clinging onto a home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals is far more likely.
The Heat are clawing ahead of them after a slow start and the Hornets and Knicks are out to prove they belong in the playoff picture after both winning yesterday. If Boston isn’t careful, they will be playing in the play-in tournament for a postseason position.
Reason #2 why the Boston Celtics must win tonight: The Jazz are next
The Cs had a great chance to gain some ground in the standings this past Thursday when an opportunity presented itself in the form of a Kevin Durant-less matchup with the Brooklyn Nets on the docket.
Boston couldn’t claim the win in that one, which puts even more pressure on tonight’s matchup with Houston. With the Rockets–owners of the league’s third-worst record–playing host on Sunday, the Cs get a brief reprieve before playing the Utah Jazz at home on Tuesday in one of the season’s biggest tests.
Utah is vanquishing just about everyone in their path, but the Cs are built to match up well with the Jazz. Any stylistic advantages would be muted if the team is playing from behind, which would be the case following an upset loss to Houston.
Reason #3 why the Boston Celtics must win tonight: -11 betting favorites
For all the bettors out there, tonight’s contest against the Houston Rockets has trap game potential. The Rockets barely covered a +15.5 point spread on Friday night against the Jazz, losing by 15.
Tonight, the spread is (currently) at -11, and while Boston isn’t guaranteed to cover, a win is all but expected by Las Vegas given the fact that the line reads like a March Madness game between a #3 and #14 seed in the round of 64.
It would be a horrendous look to drop a contest to such a massive underdog during a season where the Cs have been 17-20 against the spread.
Reason #4 why the Boston Celtics must win tonight: Rockets turmoil
Look, the Boston Celtics are no stranger to a little locker-room drama, but the Houston Rockets have been a bigger PR mess this season than just about any NBA team in recent memory.
There was the James Harden trade drama that started in the preseason surrounding his apparent commandeering nature of how the franchise needed to operate and how it needed to cater to his specific needs.
Then there were John Wall’s comments about the team’s situation following the blockbuster Harden deal once the losing started to begin in earnest (WARNING: NSFW content):
John Wall: This shit is ass. Terrible.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) March 1, 2021
That the team is now sitting out P.J. Tucker so he can find a new home after releasing DeMarcus Cousins due to a poor fit. While the Cs have known dysfunction throughout the past few years, this is different because it is accompanied by a lot of losing.
Losing to a team embroiled in this much turmoil would be a disastrous look.
Reason #5 why the Boston Celtics must win tonight: Who is suiting up for Houston?
Houston trotted out the following starting lineup on Friday night against the Jazz:
Kevin Porter Jr., Ben McLemore, Sterling Brown, Jae’Sean Tate, Justin Patton.
Two of those players were acquired midseason, with Porter Jr. and Patton both being cut by their previous teams (Cleveland, Milwaukee respectively). Ben McLemore is on a minimum contract, and ditto for Sterling Brown.
Tate is a rookie with promise, but he wouldn’t be starting on just about any other team. This is not the sort of outfit that should be giving the Cs trouble tonight.
If they do, then there are going to be a lot more must-win games in the coming weeks.