BSJ Game Report: Cavs 118, Celtics 114 (OT) - Missed free throws lead to another disappointing collapse and OT loss

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics came out with good energy and moved the ball well, using a nice boost from Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, and the bench to build an early lead. Grant Williams got hot from deep in the second quarter to build a lead as high as 15. Donovan Mitchell kept the Cavs close in the second half but Boston still had a 14-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Once again that started to fall apart as the Cavs cashed in on tons of second chances. Still Williams had 2 free throws with .08 seconds left to win, and he missed both. The Celtics ran out of gas in the overtime.

Box Score

HEADLINES

Another missed opportunity: It’s a little different with them being short-handed the way they were, but this was just another example of a particular style of play getting the Celtics good results and then it going away when it mattered. They had 8 assists and 24 shot attempts in the first quarter and 10 assists with 24 shot attempts in the second. In the fourth, 3 assists with 24 shot attempts. The passing and ball movement went away and they went more iso, and it didn’t work. 

“What are we, who are we when we're at our best?” Joe Mazzula said of the message to his team after the game. “Why are we not at our best? And what does that look like? And how do we maintain that?” 

Ooh! Ooh! I know the answer! Read my next piece to find out!

Overtime. Again.: Their 11th OT game of the season and their third against Cleveland couldn't have come at a worse time. After a double OT game last night, Brown has played 92 minutes of basketball on back-to-back nights. Add the game before that and it’s 135 minutes. 

Big bench night: If you want a positive note, the Boston bench outscored Cleveland’s 50-23. That was mostly Brogdon, who was great in his return, and Williams, who was 4-5 from deep. 

Oh… Grant: You could see him on camera saying he was going to make both free throws at the end of regulation. He made neither. Brutal ending to the game in which he looked like he was back. The story switched from stepping up in everyone’s absence to this. 

TURNING POINT

The Celtics were up 102-91 with 5:06 to go but the Cavs put together a 9-0 run behind 3 offensive rebounds over the next 2:13 to get back into the game. The extended run got to 16-4 as the Cavs tok a brief lead with 24.7 left. Hell, let’s just say it was 18-7 to close the quarter. 

THREE UP

Jaylen Brown: He was great for most of the night, putting up a final line of 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. He was the constant throughout the first three quarters, but then it fell apart late in the fourth (5 points, 2-6 shooting, 0-2 3pt, 2 TO). He got the line in the OT, and overall he was good, but he wasn’t very good in the clutch. 

Malcolm Brogdon: Good to have him back. 24 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds. It’s obvious he would have really helped over the last couple of games. 

Grant Williams: The missed free throws are what they are. That's just brutal. I can’t overlook the aggressive shooting from earlier in the game and that coming back. I’m hoping this gets him going and he can put 

TWO DOWN

Marcus Smart: First half Smart was pretty good, with 9 points and 4 assists. Second half Smart had 2 points, 1 assist, and 3 turnovers. I know it’s tough to perform on the back-to-back, probably while still dinged up from the beating of the last game, but this is where the vet was needed and he wasn’t there. 

Derrick White: Tough shooting night for White, who went 3-8 from the floor and 1-4 from 3. OF course, if he had hit one of those other 3-pointers it would have been a 50% shooting night, but he didn’t add anything else, which is just an oddly quiet night. He did hit the one 3-pointer that gave Boston that late 2-point lead. That was a clutch one. 

TOP PLAYS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- This one is bad, but it’s not AS bad 

Yes, this followed the same pattern as the others in a lot of ways. Yes, it’s their third loss in a row, putting the Celtics two full games behind the Bucks. I’m not going to minimize how bad it feels. 

But I’m also not as worked up about this one as the others. I’m fully taking the circumstances into play here, with the bench guys in down the stretch, with the minutes weighing on everyone, with the Cavs trying to fight to save themselves the embarrassment of a loss like this. 

Don’t get me wrong, a lot of this was more of the same, and there are a ton of lessons to be taken from this game. In fact, I think this has everything the Celtics need to learn about themselves all wrapped up in a nice, 53-minute package (again, read the next piece).

I’ll go so far as to say this: If the Celtics had beaten the Nets and Knicks and this game went this exact same way, I doubt half the comments in the live coverage post would have been written. I don’t think the vitriol would be at this same level. 

And I’m certainly not blaming any of you for feeling this way. I totally understand it. I just don’t think this rises to the same level of the last two. It’s like blowing $500 at the poker table on Friday and another $500 on Saturday because you made bad decisions, and then losing a hundred on Sunday and being just as pissed off. It’s still bad, but the other days make it worse. 

Next up: The Celtics return home for a Wednesday night game against Damian Lillard and the Blazers