Boston Celtics: 1 stud and 1 dud from disheartening loss to Miami

The Boston Celtics ended the six-game homestand poorly.

On Friday night, the Celtics got outplayed by the Miami Heat in a 120-116 overtime loss. The loss snaps a five-game win streak for the Celtics, and they finished with a 5-1 record on the homestand. The Cs now drop to 18-5 on the season, but they remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, thanks to a Milwaukee Bucks loss.

Boston started the game poorly and were unable to make shots from the field. Jayson Tatum had a poor performance and was unable to get into the rhythm of the game due to foul trouble. The Cs shot an abysmal 33.3% from 3-point range, and they had 20 turnovers.

Miami played with more toughness in the game and made it feel like a playoff game. The Boston Celtics were unable to match the Heat’s intensity throughout the game, which has been their weakness in recent seasons. The inability to match the intensity of an opponent was one of the things that cost them banner 18 a year ago.

Jimmy Butler’s return sparked an impressive performance as he had 25 points and 15 rebounds. Jaylen Brown did his best to keep the Celtics in the game and even forced overtime with a 3-pointer. However, Butler took over in overtime and ended the C’s win streak.

The Boston Celtics’ five losses have all been the same, as this is their third loss in overtime. Also, most of the C’s losses have come after long win streaks. The Boston Celtics will look to get back to their winning ways when they start a six-game road trip against the Nets in Brooklyn on Sunday.

Here is one stud and one dud from the loss.

Boston Celtics Stud: Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown was the Boston Celtics’ best player on Friday night, and he had his best game of the season. Brown scored a season-high 37 points to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists. Brown also shot 12/23 from the field and 5/11 from three. The 14 rebounds are impressive from Brown, and it highlights his commitment to improving other areas of his game.

Brown has been on a hot streak lately, and it is no surprise, considering he is now 10th on the NBA MVP ladder. Brown has improved all areas of his game, and it was on full display on Friday night as he had another good start in this game — with 14 points in the first half.

He also came up big when it mattered most, as he hit a ridiculous 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. The shot was one of many clutch moments Brown has had in recent seasons. The Celtics will need Brown to have big moments moving forward.

Brown will look to continue his hot streak on the Celtics’ long road trip.

Boston Celtics Dud: Jayson Tatum

After a season-high 49 points on Wednesday, Jayson Tatum had arguably his worst game of the season. Tatum finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists on 5/18 shooting from the field and 0/7 from three. The low shooting attempts and efficiency are concerning for Tatum, considering the intensity of the game.

Tatum usually rises for the occasion and has big performances, but he struggled on Friday night. He did not have a big impact on the game, and he was poor in clutch moments. He also got into foul trouble, which threw his rhythm off a bit.

A night where Brown is the stud and Tatum is the dud are bad nights for the Celtics, and it showed tonight. The Celtics need the Jays to be locked in and playing at a high level when playing quality opponents.

I expect Tatum to rebound from this performance and put on a show against Kevin Durant on Sunday.