Three things from Celtics-Hawks #2

Two video games in Georgia, two losses for the Boston Celtics. Their two losses to the Atlanta Hawks mark simply the third time this season that they’ve misplaced two video games in a row.

Fairly than blowing a 30-point lead, as they did on Monday, Thursday’s loss was outlined by an absence of rebounding and Dejounte Murray’s monster efficiency. He dropped a career-high 44 factors on 44 pictures.

The sport went to additional time, however Boston wasn’t capable of come up clutch when it mattered. They shook up their late-game offense in additional time, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient, as Murray hit a dagger with 0.1 seconds remaining.

As was the case on Monday, we’ll go together with two negatives and a optimistic for these three issues.

1. Ball-watching on the glass

Atlanta grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and scored 28 second-chance factors in a recreation they received by one. That’s a recipe for catastrophe should you’re the Celtics.

Among the rebounds the Hawks acquired have been a results of dangerous luck. Three-point pictures bounced weirdly off the rim, resulting in lengthy rebounds, and there was even an airball blended in. However others have been a results of poor effort.

The place was Kristaps Porzingis occurring this play? He was chopping off a Murray drive that wasn’t even near forming but, and as soon as the Hawks guard acquired by Derrick White, everybody else on the Celtics stood nonetheless. Nobody even tried to hit the glass.

Sam Hauser performs nice protection on this play, however De’Andre Hunter soars in for an offensive board fully uncontested. He was Jrue Vacation’s project, however Vacation fully misplaced him on the perimeter, and the remainder of the Celtics are simply watching, too.

Boston really will get this rebound, however the ball-watching endured. Porzingis and Jaylen Brown stand over Murray’s physique and watch the ball as a substitute of preparing for a board. The ball nearly will get all the best way to Murray on the bottom earlier than any Celtic touches it.

This was probably the most brutal offensive board of the sport. White fights his hardest in opposition to Hunter, and a few of it was dangerous luck, however the Celtics simply can’t let this occur. Bogdan Bogdanovic reaps the reward, ties the sport, and Boston finally loses in additional time.

2. Missed defensive rotations

For as dangerous because the Celtics have been on the glass on this recreation, in addition they had a few brain-fart moments on protection.

There may be merely zero communication right here. Hunter is free to roam the three-point line as Brown and Vacation fail to execute no matter defensive protection the Celtics are in.

Then, as the sport progressed, the Celtics’ protection on Murray wasn’t as dangerous as marketed. However there was one possession that made it appear as if they left him open all evening.

Murray had been torching the Celtics all evening, and but by some means, he’s large open for a 3 with two minutes left in additional time. How?

White and Porzingis lure Bogdanovic on the drive, however when he kicks it again out to Vit Krejci, Vacation and Porzingis each react.

One in all two issues ought to have occurred. Both the Celtics ought to have lived with a late Porzingis close-out on Krejci, or Brown ought to have rotated out to Murray, and Jayson Tatum ought to have coated two within the paint lengthy sufficient for Porzingis to get again, which he was doing.

As an alternative, Brown stayed put, two went to Krecji, and Murray acquired an open look. This simply can not occur at this level within the recreation, particularly with how scorching Murray was.

3. Horns set seems to be nice

Boston’s final-shot offense was tough, however for the primary couple of minutes of crunch time in regulation, they regarded stable. They have been working plenty of actions out of their Horns units, with White because the ball-handler and Tatum and Brown working on the elbows.

Having one of the best decision-maker on the group begin the play and get it to the 2 finest gamers looks as if one of the best plan of action for Boston, even when the opposite group defends it properly.

White ran the present for an extended stretch within the closing couple of minutes, however Boston went away from him on the ultimate performs of regulation and additional time. Why?