The Boston Celtics continued to re-establish their identity and have struggled to do so since returning to the floor since the NBA All-Star break.
So far, the C's have gone 5-5 since Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took the stage in Utah. They continued to await the much-needed return of front-court anchor Robert Williams, have handed the Milwaukee Bucks a three-game cushion for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and to make matters worse, still can't close a game. This is precisely what they had the chance to do, going up against one of the worst teams in the league Monday night.
The Houston Rockets, who've sat dead last in the Western Conference with sights set on the draft lottery this season, stuck it to the Celtics. Boston, on several instances, brought the game within single digits with an offensive possession in place to snag the lead but failed to capitalize. Head coach Joe Mazzulla, who didn't curb his criticism afterward, set his expectation bar before Wednesday night's follow-up against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"I do expect a response," Mazzulla said on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand." "... I think our lack of effort in the first half was unacceptable and I thought our attention to detail at times in that game was unacceptable. So we all know it. We all are aware of it. And it's just about coming back and responding. So I do trust the character of our guys. I trust the mentality of our guys and I think we will respond."
Houston controlled the momentum for well over three quarters of the night and even when Boston appeared to be on a run toward snagging the game's lead, the Rockets adjusted. They made the defensive stops in the fourth quarter, stopping Tatum from sending the game into overtime and also drained the lead-maintaining shots when needed -- leading to a 111-109 loss.
Regardless of the evident domino effect taking place without Williams in certain instances throughout their cold streak, losing with numerous chances to seize a win against subpar competition -- an ongoing trend -- is inexcusable regardless of Boston's circumstances. Especially considering the bar was risen by the Celtics' NBA Finals appearance coupled with their NBA-best start, which lasted for the better part of the season's first five months.
"I think over the course of an 82-game season, the fact that we played such good basketball for a long period of time, I think we're fighting human nature," Mazzulla said. "... So we have to work through it. But I just trust our guys. That they're going to respond mentally, physically and emotionally. And so I'm not worried, but it doesn't mean I'm happy."
Once again, the C's will get a shot at doing right by their win column Wednesday night when they take the floor against a Minnesota team that's lost two of its last three and sits just a game above the .500 mark on the year.
The Celtics and Timberwolves are set to tip off from Target Center at 8 p.m. ET.
