BOSTON — The Boston Celtics had maintained a remarkable home winning streak to the extent that it was easily overlooked. As they reached 20-0 at the Garden, the possibility of losing seemed remote. However, they’ve now suffered two consecutive losses to teams that could potentially return to compete in June on this very court.
The Denver Nuggets game was tight, at least. However, the Celtics’ defeat against the LA Clippers marks their most significant loss at home since Ime Udoka took charge. Initially, it took time for the team to establish its identity, but since then, the Celtics have performed exceptionally well. They’re not expected to falter at home anymore.
According to Joe Mazzulla, they were thoroughly outplayed in the third quarter on Saturday night, with Jrue Holiday describing it as a “good old-fashioned ass-whooping.” The Clippers dominated in various aspects of the game, including rebounding, transition play, and securing 50/50 balls.
This defeat highlights a concerning pattern for the Celtics, despite having the best record in the NBA. They’ve struggled against the top teams, with a 5-6 record against the other top seven teams. Only the Sixers, among the clear contenders, have been consistently defeated by the Celtics.
While losing to top-tier teams might be somewhat acceptable, the Celtics have mostly avoided unexpected losses to lower-ranked teams. However, occasional performances like the one against the Clippers indicate vulnerabilities. According to Celtics radio announcer Sean Grande, such a significant deficit at home is rare, happening only four times in the last 20 years.
Despite barely scraping by against the Nuggets, who are the reigning champions, the Celtics were unable to replicate their success against the Clippers, who they had defeated convincingly in Los Angeles a month earlier. Mazzulla attributes this to the inability to capitalize on open shots against a solid defensive team like the Clippers, who share similarities with the Celtics in terms of their defensive prowess and versatility on the court.
