Everything you need to know about the Clippers’ 129-119 win over the Celtics in quickie form.
Box score
HEADLINES
Worst defensive effort of the year: The Celtics may be the best defensive team in the NBA, but they played like one of the worst on Wednesday night. The hosts allowed a season-high 129 points in the defeat, as seven different Clippers scored in double figures, including a career-high 30 points from DeAndre Jordan. The visitors shot 50 percent from the field, got to the line 33 times and ran away with the game down the stretch, closing out the game with a 34-20 run over the final 10 minutes.
DeAndre "There Goes That Man" Jordan!! ?
? https://t.co/xXAR3r5lUe
? #PrimeTicket pic.twitter.com/0znlMdqOZi
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 15, 2018
Limping into the All-Star break:
The Celtics have dealt with some ugly stretches during the last month and a half, but this last week might take the cake. They’ve lost three-straight games at home, all by six or more points. They’ve dropped four of five overall and have given up a new season-high for points in two-straight games. Mental and physical fatigue is an issue right now up and down the roster, as the Celtics appeared to throw in the towel defensively down the stretch.
Kyrie wastes a gem:
This game would have been another laugher if it wasn’t for the offensive domination of Kyrie Irving. The All-Star scored a game-high 33 points and dished out eight assists to pull the Celtics offense out of an ugly rut over the first quarter and a half. It was easily his best offensive performance since returning from a quad injury last week but was wasted on a night that the Celtics couldn’t patch together many defensive stops.
TURNING POINT
TWO UP
Kyrie Irving:
The point guard scored 30-plus points in a game for the 16th time this season, the sixth-highest total in the NBA. He has now scored 25 or more points in seven of his last 11 games and is averaging 27.4 ppg over those contests. With the way the Celtics supporting cast is shooting of late, Brad Stevens might need to try to get him more shots than his season average of 18 per game.
Kyrie pull-up trey ? pic.twitter.com/t6kk8tPUQN
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 15, 2018
Marcus Morris:
TWO DOWN
Jayson Tatum:
A woeful month of February continues for the 19-year-old. He missed nine of his 13 shots on Wednesday night and is now shooting just 35 percent from the field (19-of-53) over his last five contests. With a sharp dropoff in his 3-point shooting emerging as well (2-of-10), Tatum’s limitations are starting to become a more pronounced issue on the defensive end.
Everyone’s defense:
Nearly every single member of the Celtics roster looked terrible on defense at some point in this contest. Whether it was Aron Baynes tallying silly fouls, Jaylen Brown getting beaten badly off the dribble by Avery Bradley, or Tobias Harris abusing any of Boston’s bigger wings, it was an embarrassing effort up and down the roster.
TOP PLAY
Rozier hits at the horn! pic.twitter.com/FUM1Kct5dk
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 15, 2018
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Marcus Smart might be in the starting lineup when the Celtics return from the All-Star break:
The Celtics have looked like a team without much fight over the past week or so and that’s one thing that Brad Stevens won’t accept. With Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum having trouble defending their respective positions, it might be time for Stevens to shake things up and use his best defensive weapon early in games. Smart’s presence should take some pressure off Kyrie Irving defensively and allow a slumping Tatum to move to the bench to try to regain some confidence offensively.
Danny Ainge has dealt Brad Stevens a tough hand:
This is an issue that has been compounded by the injuries to Marcus Smart and Shane Larkin lately but the lack of wing additions after Gordon Hayward’s injury has left
head coach in another brutal situation. Warts all over the roster are becoming apparent and the depth options aren’t appealing options for Stevens either (all rookies). Good luck to the head coach down the stretch of this campaign as he struggles with ways to play smallball without the ideal personnel to do it with for the fifth straight season.