Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla calls out major culprit in embarrassing loss to Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
The Boston coach identified the issue in his team’s loss to the Clippers.
The Boston Celtics got embarrassed on their home court, 115-96, by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points in only 29 minutes, while Paul George added 17 points for Los Angeles.
The Clippers ran away with the game behind a 21-0 run in the third quarter to win its fifth straight and exact a little revenge over a 37-point home loss to the Celtics in December.
After the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla identified the major culprit in the loss, according to Jay King of The Athletic:
“Joe Mazzulla said the Clippers did a good job messing up the timing of the Celtics passes with their active hands.”
The Clippers managed to force 11 Celtics turnovers, but Mazzulla was referring more to the time and energy spent by Boston just trying to get into their sets and execute.
It was the most lopsided home loss of the season for the Celtics, which lost for just the second time at TD Garden home after starting the season 20-0 there.
The Celtics were without the services of big man Kristaps Porzingis, who is dealing with a left ankle injury.
Mazzulla said that Porzingis isn’t expected to miss much time, but his presence was definitely missed against a Clippers team that forced Boston to settle for jump shots.
The Celtics have a chance to regroup tomorrow before taking on the New Orleans Pelicans at home on Monday.
Mazzulla and company will be hoping that Porzingis’ left ankle injury heals quickly so that he’s able to provide an interior presence against the Pelicans’ bigs.
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Jayson Tatum Described the Celtics’ Ugly Loss to the Clippers Postgame
The Los Angeles Clippers had TD Garden booing for an abundance of Saturday night, destroying the Boston Celtics for their second home loss, 115-96.
Los Angeles was up nearly 40 in the third quarter, with the Clippers remaining red-hot.
Boston’s starters outside of Jayson Tatum shot 5-37, as he and Luke Kornet seemed to be the only two Celtics providing energy on both ends.
Tatum had 21 points and 11 rebounds on 8-18 shooting to lead the Celtics off night of an unusual 36 percent from the field and 25 from distance.
Tatum spoke about it after the blowout defeat.
“We felt like we were getting good looks, and we just didn’t really shoot the ball well,” Tatum said.
“Some of our possessions could have been better, but it was just a tough night for us.”
The Celtics were allowing the Clippers to get out and run on the break and get to their spots at their best, let alone the run-outs they gave up.
“Unfortunately, we kind of let our offense affect our defense, and they got a lot of leakouts and easy ones in transition.”
Home losses have been so uncommon for Boston for a long time now. The 19-point loss to the Clippers was their largest regular season loss at TD Garden since Nov. 24, 2021, per Celtics’ senior writer, Taylor Snow.
The C’s were routed 123–104 by the Kevin Durant and James Harden-led Brooklyn Nets.
It does not get any easier for the Celtics, as they now enter a week filled with a back-to-back with the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers making their trip to Boston.
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