The Boston Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket during the second half of their ugly 116-101 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. They shot just 12-of-46 from the floor and 3-of-26 from deep, sputtering to only 34 points after halftime.
Several Celtics had rough shooting nights, especially Sam Hauser. He went scoreless in 22 minutes after missing all 10 of his field-goal attempts, including nine 3-pointers.
He also had a particularly brutal sequence early in the fourth quarter where he missed four shots on one Boston possession, bricking a pair of open threes and two layups in less than a minute.
It’s been a tough season for Hauser, who hasn’t been able to find his stroke this year. The 28-year-old wing is shooting just 34.2 percent from beyond the arc, 36.4 percent on 2-pointers and 34.5 percent overall — all the worst figures of his career by far.
Hauser isn’t the only Celtics veteran struggling with his shot, as Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have been cold as well.
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White has disappointed after a strong preseason, shooting just 38.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent on 3-pointers and 47 percent on 2-pointers. That’s the lowest field goal percentage, second-lowest 2-point percentage and second-lowest 3-point percentage of his career.
Pritchard’s also been in a shooting funk, posting the worst 3-point percentage (33.7 percent) of his career. His 2-point percentage and overall field-goal percentage are also his lowest since 2022-23.
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And yet, Boston is thriving. Other players like Jaylen Brown, Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta have picked up the slack, propelling the team to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite their shooting woes, the Celtics still rank fifth in both offensive rating and net rating.
If Hauser, Pritchard and White can get back on track, that will make Boston’s offense even more dangerous in the months ahead.
Featured image via Brad Penner/Imagn Images
