On the back of one of the most devastating losses in Boston sports history, the Boston Celtics continued the trend of shooting themselves in the foot.
Just 24 hours after the Boston Bruins’ historic 65-win campaign came to a close at the hands of the Florida Panthers in Game 7, the Boston Celtics kept with the theme of what hampered the Bs in the first round. In two out of the three close-out games for the Bruins, Jim Montgomery’s side accumulated 17 or more giveaways including 18 in Game 7. Just a few miles southwest, the Boston Red Sox are tied for the second-most errors this season in the MLB, the baseball equivalent of turnovers.
Something must be in the water in Boston because Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics do the same thing.
Only two teams in the postseason so far have committed more giveaways than the Cs. The green and white have collected 16 or more turnovers in two of the last four games. It does not matter how many points you score in the paint if the opposition is able to get more possessions on the other end. Only one team can beat the Celtics, and that is themselves. In 2022, the Cs under Ime Udoka were in the bottom five in giveaways in the playoffs, averaging 14.7 per 48 minutes.
Last year in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Boston struggled with taking care of the basketball. Mike Budenholzer and his Milwaukee Bucks forced 18 giveaways en route to a comfortable victory on the parquet floor. In the following contest at home, Jayson Tatum and the Cs rebounded, decreasing their Game 1 turnover total by seven to tie the series up at one apiece.
Joe Mazzulla provides some insight on what he believed caused the Celtics to struggle with turnovers vs. Philly #BleedGreen #BrotherlyLove #PHIvsBOS #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/cEIL3aKTC3
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 2, 2023
Given how much experience this ball club has in the postseason since Jaylen Brown and Tatum started their Boston Celtics careers you would think they would learn. If Boston goes on to lose this series in however many games, this is the game everyone is going to point to. Joel Embiid was watching on the sidelines in his interesting ripped-up hoodie while his team made a massive statement to open up the second round of the playoffs. This is a good ball club even without Embiid in the lineup, but with his presence in the paint, the green and white are going to find it much more of a challenge to score over 60 points inside the painted area.
Sometimes it seems this team hesitates too much with an advantage on the offensive end. They get stuck between two minds whether it is to pass or shoot when they need to have a plan before attacking the painted area. Philadelphia’s on-ball pressure makes it difficult at times, but that should not be an excuse for throwing the ball right into the hands of the opponent.
It was not James Harden that won for the Philadelphia 76ers, it was the Boston Celtics who gift-wrapped Game 1 win
You can talk about the defense or the sensational shooting display by James Harden, but at the end of the day, the Philadelphia 76ers threw the ball at the rim 14 more times than the home team was able to. On occasion, it was offensive rebounding, but for the most part, it was this ball club reverting back to its old habits. Executing live-ball turnovers that created offense was the story of Game 1 against a team that has already shown an ability in the postseason to score off of opponents’ mistakes. 10 of the 16 giveaways on Monday night were live-ball. Four out of the five starters for the Cs on Monday night had double-digit turnovers compared to the away side starting lineup which combined for just two.
No city does it better at this moment in time. Winning in professional sports is all about controlling the controllables. Sometimes you have to tip your cap to an impressive shot by Harden or a 400-foot home run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Those things happen. When you can get the chance to collect an easy out or make the simple pass you have to take advantage of that. Just like their counterparts in baseball and hockey, the Cs beat themselves instead of forcing the opponent to win the game on their own.
Mazzulla’s men need to take a lesson from the Bruins, or even the Red Sox who are no strangers to dropping games due to self-inflicted mistakes in 2023. The Boston Celtics of last season demonstrated their ability to put a Game 1 performance like this behind them almost immediately. With the leadership in the locker room on the players’ side, this ball club must take responsibility and change their habits in what is now a must-win Game 2.