If the Boston Celtics' stretch of four games on either side of the All-Star break isn't the perfect example of their inconsistencies this season, we don't know what is.
They closed out the first half of the season with four-straight, and have started the second 1-3 after their most recent 117-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quickens Loan Arena.
Boston didn't have typical starters Kemba Walker or Tristan Thompson available. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland had great games for Cleveland, too. But outside of that, there seems to be a tendency for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown to need a quiet first half before ramping up.
That was the case for both players Wednesday night.
Brown and Tatum had just seven and five points, respectively, in the first half. During those two quarters as a team, the Celtics shot 3-for-15 from deep, and the ball movement could be best depicted by Daniel Theis and Robert Williams leading the team in assists with three apiece.
"I thought we were affected because we got, I felt like, really good looks early, and the ball wasn't going in and you could kind of see our shoulders slump," Stevens said of the Celtics confidence during his postgame press conference. "You know, (the Cavaliers) weren't that way the whole night, they were in a rhythm. And, you know, they played a real physical tough style it turned us over in the first half quite a bit."
The Celtics responded to being down by as many as 21 points to give the Cavaliers a bit of a scare, especially down the stretch.
Williams was a bright spot throughout the contest, but the Celtics' two All-Stars stepped up in the third quarter.
Brown attacked relentlessly in the third, with 13 third-quarter points to finish with 28 points, four assists and three boards. Tatum dropped nine in the third to finish with a team-high 29 points, five rebounds and three assists.
"You have to be able to respond to those moments, you have to be able to respond to those runs," Stevens admitted. "And we did, but we just did too late."
Here are some other takeaways from Cleveland's win over Boston:
-- Back to Williams, who really is making the most of his opportunity while Tristan Thompson sits out due to COVID-19 protocols.
In a career-high 27 minutes off the bench, the third-year center had a double-double comprised of 13 points, 14 rebounds (nine defensive), four blocks, three assists and two steals.
Still, the box score leaves out the defensive contributions he made that kept his team in it to begin with, as Williams was all over the place.
"As far as getting more minutes, you know, just trying to -- I think he has more impact at the rim," Stevens said of Williams after the game.
"I thought we got, you know, in those big moments when they scored, you know, a couple times in the zone. And then a couple times late when he wasn't in the game, or he wasn't the one challenging in the shot, it didn't feel like they had much impact at the rim. And so, obviously, you need to get him in there as much as possible.
"To be honest, I should have played Tacko. He's probably the other guy that could have impacted some of those rim shots better when Rob wasn't in the game."
-- Williams took an awkward fall in the beginning of the fourth quarter and headed to the locker room after a few minutes trying to hang out there. Stevens said the training staff was concerned he may have hyperextended his knee, but he was cleared to play afterwards.
-- The Celtics head back to Boston for a two-game home stretch beginning Friday against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET.
