Boston Celtics: The good, the bad, and the ugly from crushing Game 4 loss

The ugly from the Boston Celtics: That fourth quarter

Game 4’s fourth quarter was something straight from the December version of the Boston Celtics: have a few good possessions to create open looks in the early portion, then completely fall apart down the stretch.

To be fair, they got some decent looks from the perimeter… they just didn’t fall.

The C’s were outscored 28-19 in the final period, shooting only 33 percent from the field and 4-of-13 from the perimeter. The shot discrepancy leaves the game up to tons of variance, something Boston shouldn’t want when they’re up by as many as five.

There was little dribble penetration leading to an open look. Most of Boston’s misses came off of isolation, with five guys standing around on a basketball court instead of making a concerted effort to have a productive offensive possession.

This shouldn’t be surprising considering Boston’s struggles with this scenario all season long (including the playoffs), but it’s frustrating nonetheless.

There’s a scenario in an alternate reality right now where Jimmy Butler ended up hitting that late-game trey in Game 7 of the Conference Finals and Boston’s watching these Finals from home. The Celtics simply have to be better in late-game situations.

On the defensive end, Golden State’s offensive rebounds gave them one too many chances. The overall defense was fine for most of the Warriors’ looks, but with six offensive boards, Golden State capitalized.

They hit ten of their 20 attempts from the field, and were 3-of-7 from deep.

Boston is completely capable of winning Game 5, taking control of the series right back. Can they win a crucial playoff game on the road once again?

Don’t count this team out!