BOSTON — The Celtics have had plenty of poor shooting nights, and Tuesday certainly was one of them.
According to those in the locker room, though, their disappointing 89-77 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden went beyond a lack of execution.
Boston shot just 32 percent from the floor and was outscored 49-31 in the second half in their first time facing the Cavs since LeBron James and Co. swept them in the opening round of the 2015 playoffs.
The rematch featured was preceded by a bit of pregame banter but failed live up to its billing, as the Celtics lost their trademark tenacity that’s been a staple of so many of their wins.
“I don’t feel like the entire game we were playing hard enough,” a frustrated Avery Bradley said after the game. “I even said it during a timeout. I was like, ‘Man, we’re not playing hard enough.’ Playing against a team like this, we have to play hard every single possession, and we have to understand that every single game, every possession counts.”
Some credit certainly goes to the Cavaliers’ defense, which limited the Celtics to just 24 points in the paint and forced them to settle for outside shots. But Bradley wasn’t the only one who felt the effort simply wasn’t there Tuesday night.
“You’ve got to tip your hat off to them. They’re a great team,” point guard Isaiah Thomas said. “They played harder than us, especially in the second half.”
Boston’s defensive performance wasn’t necessarily the issue, as Cleveland managed just 89 points and LeBron James, capable of taking games over with his transcendent play, tallied an average-by-his-standards 24 points. Yet the Celtics’ sluggishness evidenced itself on the offensive end, where they scored a season-low 77 points and stalled at critical times down the stretch.
“(The Cavs) play hard on the defensive end, and we got real stagnant with the ball,” Celtics swingman Jae Crowder said. “We tried to make a play one-on-one every time, so we’ve got to get back to the basics on that.”
“They just came out playing harder than us,” Bradley added. “The team that plays harder usually wins.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@celtics
