The Boston Celtics pretty much steamrolled their way to an NBA title last season. They finished the regular season with an overall record of 64-18 and lost just three games in the postseason, capturing Banner 18.
They may have finally hit some actual adversity this season.
The Celtics lost 114-97 to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, but even more so, Kings center Domantas Sabonis completely manhandled the defining champions in the contest.
Sabonis finished with an absurd 28 rebounds and 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. The Celtics simply didn’t have an answer for Sabonis, including No. 1 rim protector Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis finished the night with a modest 22 points, 10 rebounds and two steals against the Kings. Despite the double-digit loss, the Celtics big man isn’t overly concerned with Boston’s recent struggles.
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“Honestly, some plays it just happens,” Porzingas told reporters after the loss. “It’s not like we’re not trying. It’s like, I’m thinking this guy’s going, I’m not going and then we just stay in the same place, and it doesn’t look perfect. But, we’re gonna get past it. We’re gonna be fine.”
Porzingis added: “We’ll figure it out. I’m telling you. I’m confident we’ll bounce back. We’re just having not the prettiest moment as a team, and it’s completely normal. I don’t need to be negative. Believe me, we’ll figure it out.”
The Celtics are 27-11 on the season, and of the double-digit losses, Boston has only lost back-to-back games once. The C’s have won three or more games in a row five times this season, so perhaps Porzingis is right to not panic.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
