Disappointing would be an understatement to describe the latest Boston Celtics loss, which marked their third consecutive on Wednesday night.
Fresh off back-to-back home defeats, the Celtics added to their loss column yet again. They fell to another subpar opponent, the Indiana Pacers, 117-12, at TD Garden. And while the Celtics remain within 0.5 a game from the NBA's best record, the Pacers just reached the .500 mark (16-16) on their campaign.
Yet, Malcolm Brogdon felt optimistic after the loss. He acknowledged the Celtics' fight in crunch time. Boston's "sense of urgency" avoided what could've easily been a horrendous double-digit loss.
"I think we need a sense of urgency," Brogdon said, per NBC Sports Boston video. "And I think we're starting to get that. I think that second half showed us that we can have and play with a sense of urgency and I think we will."
By halftime, the Celtics found themselves in a 28-point hole.
Brogdon, who scored 18 points with seven assists in the loss, revealed the feeling in the Celtics locker room.
"There's disappointment," Brogdon said. "There's a lot of disappointment. I think that us as a team, we're disappointed in ourselves. But I don't think there's concern."
In the third quarter, the Celtics began to show life. They outscored the Pacers 42-29 and cut Indiana's lead to seven with six minutes left in the game. However, the push would prove to be meaningless in the end.
Nevertheless, the Celtics will search to regain momentum in the standings. Boston will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-16) on Friday. Tipoff from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
