Everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics loss to the San Antonio Spurs with BSJ insight and analysis:
IN A NUTSHELL
The Celtics and Spurs went back and forth for the whole game with neither team taking a lead bigger than six. In the second half, the Spurs were able to make just enough plays to come out on top, thanks to the Celtics once again devolving into isolation basketball and Dejounte Murray hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. Still, Jaylen Brown’s steal of an inbounds pass and layup could have tied the game and sent it into overtime, but it fell short.
HEADLINES
Jayson Tatum struggled: He shot 30% from the field on his first night back from Health & Safety protocols. He did a good job driving and he slowly seemed to figure things out, but he was getting stuffed at the rim early.
“Felt rusty. I did feel better than the first time I got it,” Tatum said. “I won’t say I was nervous, but it was definitely heavy on my mind last night, today, the anticipation, and it kind of lingered into the game. I kind of questioned myself out there. I was tired. But I definitely felt better than the last time. We all have to get used to it. It’s part of the new normal. It’s not going anywhere. But I’m starting to feel better.”
Dejounte Murray is a Celtics killer: I’m ready to elevate him to the Khris Middleton, Terrance Ross, Ish Smith ranks. He just smoked Boston.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics went two minutes without scoring after making it 97-95, including a missed layup, a forced jump ball, a shot clock violation, and an offensive foul. They only scored one basket in the final three minutes.
“We had several opportunities throughout the fourth quarter to tie it, take a lead,” Ime Udoka said after the game. “I felt we got too isolation-heavy at times and never took advantage of the opportunities when we defended well in the second half.”
SECOND GUESS
I’m begging for one of two things to happen: Ime Udoka to stop playing Dennis Schröder down the stretch and alongside Marcus Smart in the fourth quarter, or for Brad Stevens to take that option out of Udoka’s hand and trade him. Schröder's shot selection and isolation started the fourth quarter stagnation.
THREE UP
Marcus Smart: When he had the ball in his hands and he ran the offense, he was really good. He shot 50% from 2 and 3 and dished out 6 assists. However, he had none in the second half. That happened to be the half Schröder started dribbling a lot more.
Jaylen Brown: 30 points on 12-25 shooting and 4-8 on 3-pointers. He had it going early, but the problem is that he only made one shot in the fourth quarter.
Josh Richardson: He should have gotten a lot more fourth-quarter run. He’s proven to be a stabilizer, but he has to be out there with Tatum and Brown and another shooter.
TWO DOWN
Dennis Schröder: The box score never tells the truth about Schröder games. He scored 15 points on 7-14 shooting with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and just 1 turnover. It looks good, but look no further than him for when the offense really started to devolve. And his defense at times is just god awful. I’m starting to understand why the Lakers didn’t pay him.
Grant Williams: Just an off night but this was a tough defensive matchup for him. The Spurs played a bunch of small guys around their centers.
TOP PLAY
Rob Williams with AUTHORITY! pic.twitter.com/zyVUFq32IN
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) January 6, 2022
ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Time to do something different.
I’m as patient as anyone. I know this team is very much a work in progress. But the key word there is “progress.” I think everyone watching would like to see some more of it.
“Every time we had a chance to really take the lead, or push the lead up, or get it close, especially down late in the fourth quarter, we took some poor shots,” Udoka said. “So we have to be more deliberate with what we’re trying to get there. We ran certain plays and just got to execute them and find the guys that are open and let them make the plays behind it, because we know teams are going to take (Tatum and Brown) out.”
But do they have to?
It seems like most teams can find their star players down the stretch and yet Boston is unable to do it.
When Schröder is dribbling entire possessions, other guys seem to stand there and watch and wait. Then when they get the ball, they decide it’s their turn and they won’t pass it because they don’t get it back anymore.
“I guess from afar, spectating, you could assume that,” Tatum said when asked about what looks like a lack of trust late in games. “I can’t speak for everybody, but I know we trust each other in that locker room. We’ve just got to recognize what’s working, what we should do in those situations, and take advantage of mismatches or whatever the case may be. I think as a collective, we’ve just got to recognize how to read and communicate a little bit better in those moments.”
The Celtics have to make teams pay for blitzing Brown and Tatum. That means running good offense once one of the Jays gives the ball up and then making quick, decisive plays behind it.
“It's not hard to get blitzed. Hit the man rolling and now you're creating an advantage for your team,” Tatum said. “We're actively working on it and watching film and studying after each and every game, trying to just get better. Obviously, tonight was kind of a tough one, one we wish we could have back. But obviously, it's something to talk about on the plane and in film tomorrow and just be better for the next game tomorrow.”