The Boston Celtics’ loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, which ended a lengthy win streak, couldn’t have finished in more gut-wrenching fashion.
But with it now behind them, the C’s are viewing the loss as a positive.
After a last-second 100-99 loss to the Kings at Golden 1 Center, the C’s bounced back in the second leg of a back-to-back by beating the Phoenix Suns 99-85 on Monday. The setback against Sacramento brought an end to Boston’s 10-game winning streak, which began following its opening night loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics earned some impressive wins over that stretch, but head coach Brad Stevens and the players alike were skeptical of buying too much into the hype, in part because it’s only November. Following Monday’s win, Kemba Walker explained that in retrospect, the streak coming to an end actually might have been a positive thing.
“We’re not going to win every night, but when you have opportunities to bounce back and learn from mistakes and you actually come out and do it, it just feels good,” Walker said, via The Boston Globe. “It lets you know about your team and the guys you’re playing with. We have a special group.”
Indeed, the Celtics showing they can respond well probably is a more valuable lesson at this point in the season than simply winning every game. After all, they probably aren’t going to win out in the playoffs (shocking, we know). And to the surprise of many, the Suns have been a pretty good team this season, so Boston’s latest win isn’t something to just turn your nose up at.
