Jaylen Brown identifies issue slowing down Celtics
12/30/2024 03:01 AM
As far as Eastern Conference contenders go, the Boston Celtics shouldn’t be struggling. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still lead the way. The supporting cast remains intact. And on the sidelines, Joe Mazulla continues to utilize the playbook that granted them a championship. The thing is, they’re on a slump.
Through their last six games, the second-seeded Celtics are 2-4, and all the while, the Cleveland Cavaliers are slowly breaking away while the New York Knicks are on the verge of catching up. Boston’s latest defeat occurred on Sunday at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. Behind Tyrese Haliburton’s 31-point night, the Pacers bounced back from their blowout loss to the Celtics two nights ago.
Jaylen Brown had 31 points to lead the green team, but it wasn’t enough to avoid their sixth home loss of the season. Regardless, Brown knows exactly what’s causing the slump, and what the Celtics have to do moving forward.
“We gotta emphasize that we gotta get back to emphasizing the defensive side of the ball,” Brown said, per Celtics on CLNS. “It’s kind of slipped over the last few games, our intensity. And teams are pressuring us, they’re being physical with us, we gotta do some of the same stuff back to them.”
Jaylen Brown on Boston's defense:
"We gotta emphasize that we gotta get back to emphasizing the defensive side of the ball. It's kind of slipped over the last few games."
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– #celtics#pacers#bostonceltics
by @PrizePicks@Gametimepic.twitter.com/o2I6AJKypY— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) December 30, 2024
The Celtics falter on Sunday
That downward slip of intensity was present against the Pacers on Sunday. In addition to the Celtics being outscored in terms of efficiency, Brown and Co. were outrebounded by Indiana, 50-41. The Pacers also controlled the offensive glass, as energetic bench players led the way to give Indiana 11 offensive boards. Furthermore, the Celtics allowed the Pacers to play their run-and-gun brand of basketball in the form of 18 fastbreak points given up.
From December 19 up to now (the span of their last six games), the Celtics hold a 15th-ranked defensive rating (112.1) and are 14th in opponent rebounds per game (44.8). This is quite concerning, considering how they’re known to boast one of the league’s most versatile defenses.
The schedule ahead won’t make things any easier. The Celtics’ next five games include opponents such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets. If Boston wants to regain their footing, they have no choice but to heed Jaylen Brown’s comments.
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