Boston Celtics NBA news, rumors, schedule, roster. Tickets at TD Garden Arena. Celtics social media. NBA live stream
Boston Celtics schedule roster and ticket options, with news and rumors coverage following (more ticket options listed below).
Boston Celtics game tickets and schedule
Ticketmaster is the official ticketing partner of the NBA. Ticketmaster provides the transactional engine that most of the NBA teams utilize. NBATickets.com provides links to Ticketmaster for each team that utilizes Ticketmaster, and to the respective primary ticketing partner for each team not utilizing Ticketmaster.
NBATickets.com is the NBA’s one-stop shop for all ticket types for all NBA teams. Fans can link out to buy single-game tickets directly from the team, browse resale options, or view more options on team ticket pages, including promotions and deals.
NBATickets.com is not a transactional site – it is a hub that links to the official team ticketing options for each team. Following outbound links to NBA team sites insures they are official, safe and secure. Your tickets will be issued directly from the team. When you buy directly from the team, there is no risk of duplicate or fraudulent tickets. “Buy from team” means just that – you’ll be purchasing tickets directly from the team via the team’s ticketing software platform (each team works with its own chosen ticketing partner).
Additionally, other viable outlets for ticket sales are available. Additionally, NBA schedules, specific team schedules, and playoff tickets are provided by third-party ticket outlets. Prefer to speak to a person? For any questions about tickets, feel free to call Boston Celtics ticketing services directly at 866-715-1500.
The provided podcasts allow convenient listening from your mobile handset. And official Twitter, Instagram and RSS news feeds are a great way to view breaking updates for upcoming Boston Celtics schedule, roster rumors, special announcements, playoff race, NBA playoff schedule, and all important front office news and rumors.
It’s only one win, and it was against the shorthanded and struggling Golden State Warriors, but it was as resounding and much-needed as they come.
With the 125-85 thrashing of the Warriors on MLK Day, the Celtics improved to 30-13 on the season, and open up another four-game Western Conference road trip with a victory.
The Warriors, meanwhile, were without Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski, and looked pretty lifeless from the start. Chase Center was one of the quieter NBA arenas the Celtics have visited in recent weeks, and the Warriors — who shot 34.8% from the field on the night — didn’t give the crowd much to cheer for.
Still, this was a strong two-way performance by Boston and a great start to the trip; Joe Mazzulla praised the Celtics’ physicality after the win.
Here are four on-the-ground observations from the Celtics 40-point win over the Warriors.
Six Celtics score in double-figures en route to 33 assists
Tatum finished the night with 22 points (9-20 FG), 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Kristaps Porzingis continued his strong offensive play with 18 points on 6-13 shooting alongside 7 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown posted an efficient 17 points on 8-14 shooting.
In total, six Celtics scored in double-figures, including Jrue Holiday (10 points on 4-5 shooting), Sam Hauser (11 points on 4-7 shooting), and Payton Pritchard (14 points on 5-10 shooting, 9 assists). That well-balanced attack allowed the Celtics to rack up 33 assists — nearly 8 more than their season average of 25.3.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics benefit from a new substitution pattern
For most of this season, Jayson Tatum has played the entire first quarter, and Jaylen Brown has subbed out at the six-minute mark. Occasionally, when Brown has really had it going offensively, he’s played the entire first quarter (as he did all of last season).
But, for the past two games, Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics coaching staff have mixed it up, having Jayson Tatum sub out at the six-minute mark like he did for much of last season, and then having him check back in for Jaylen Brown for the final three minutes. In effect, that has meant that rather than having one of the Celtics’ All-Stars play 12 first-quarter minutes and the other play 6 minutes, each has played 9 minutes.
Brown has appreciated the rotation change — and he’s voiced on a number of occasions that not playing the entire first quarter made things more difficult.
.@RealBobManning asked Jaylen Brown on adjusting to this season's rotations:
"I'm usually the one that set the tone for the team so sometimes not being out there we kinda have a sluggish start... I don't really complain or anything I just try to come out and be the best version… pic.twitter.com/dJugIuUGgn
“I’m usually the one that set the tone for the team so sometimes not being out there, we kinda have a sluggish start,” Brown said. “I feel like at different times at my career, that’s been me to help negate that. Different year, things get switched up, and you just got to be alright with that. I don’t really complain or anything I just try to come out and be the best version of myself.”
The Celtics jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, and finished the first quarter up 29-18, setting a great tone for the rest of the night. The substitution pattern change is far from the only reason for the solid start, but it’ll be interesting to see if Mazzulla and company shift toward this new pattern on a more regular basis.
So far, it’s resulted in two good starts for the Celtics.
Steve Kerr, Steph Curry say Celtics fans should not worry about the Celtics
Before the game, Steve Kerr was asked about the process of trying to repeat and expressed optimism for the Celtics, who had lost 8 of 16 games entering Monday.
“The NBA season is such a long haul,” Kerr said. “And, if you go to the Finals, it’s over 100 games. And so, if you go to the Finals and come back the next year, you’re right back at base camp, and that’s intimidating. Especially for the Celtics, they’ve been at it for 7, 8 years, playing deep into the postseason.”
Steve Kerr tells @RealBobManning he wouldn’t worry about the Celtics if he was one of their fans:
“It’s perfectly natural for them to to have a little bit of an emotional hangover, and maybe not be at their best game after game. I've seen that a million times in this league. But… pic.twitter.com/oFom4ODloC
Kerr knows the challenge of trying to go back-to-back quite well; he’s coached the Warriors to four championships, and they were the last NBA team to go back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. Kerr also won four consecutive NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1996 to 1999.
“It’s perfectly natural for them to have a little bit of an emotional hangover and maybe not be at their best game after game,” Kerr said. “I’ve seen that a million times in this league. But, what I would expect is, come playoff time, they’ll be ready to roll. They’ve still got guys in their primes, well-oiled machine, well-coached, they know who they are, so I wouldn’t worry about the Celtics if I were one of their fans.”
Joe Mazzulla has repeatedly said this season that the Celtics aren’t viewing this season as a title defense — rather, they’re simply trying to play their best basketball.
“Every season, regardless of the past result, brings about challenges, opportunities, ups and downs regardless of the past,” Mazzulla said. “So at the end of the day, it’s more about making sure we’re sticking to the process of trying to play our best basketball as best as we can. Holding each other accountable to that, and just taking whatever the regular season presents to us as an opportunity to learn and grow. So, I think that’s the mindset that we’re in, and that’s kind of where we’re at right now.”
Steph Curry, who has won four championships of his own, echoed that sentiment postgame.
“It’s a marathon of a season — you do have a championship kind of aura about you, and you can kind of carry that, but you’re getting everybody’s best shot every night. Teams spent all summer trying to figure out how to beat you because you’re the one that was holding up the trophy. And now, you’re kind of held to a championship standard knowing that you’ve accomplished it.”
“So there are gonna be lulls throughout the season. It kind of happens. But you try to get to the playoffs with a good identity, good momentum, good confidence, good health, and then you just roll the dice trying to run it back.”
Steph Curry on the process of trying to defend a title:
“Teams spent all summer trying to figure out how to beat you, because you're the one that was holding up the trophy.”
“I don’t know what people expected, but they’re 30-13. They’re doing alright.” pic.twitter.com/3YaOVnbsas
“I don’t know what people expected — they’re 30-13. They’re doing alright.”
Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh shine in garbage time
Baylor Scheierman, Xavier Tillman, Jordan Walsh, and Jaden Springer all got some rare playing time in the final minutes, helping the Celtics close out a 40-point win. Jordan Walsh looked comfortable in his PT, hitting 2-3 threes.
Baylor Scheierman, meanwhile, hit his first NBA three-pointer, summoning enthusiastic celebrations from their bench. He also grabbed three rebounds and hit a pull-up jumper en route to recording a career-high 5 points.
“You try to find small moments to have those guys spend time with us — to validate the work, to continue to see what we’re doing here,” Mazzulla said. “So, he’s had a great attitude.”
The Celtics' road trip continues Wednesday vs. the Clippers
The Celtics are off on Tuesday as they travel to Los Angeles, but will be back in action on Wednesday, where they’ll face the Clippers, who should have two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard available.
Then, they’ll play the Lakers on Thursday and the Mavericks on Saturday before returning home for a two-game homestand against the Rockets and the Bulls.
A balanced team performance sees Boston back in the winning column on MLK Day.
The Boston Celtics began January’s second west coast road trip on Monday evening, facing off against the 21-20 Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Boston prevailed in a big way 125-85 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The win sees the Celtics bounce back after a tough loss to Atlanta in overtime on Saturday.
Kristaps Porzingis hit on the game’s first shot, a line drive three-pointer, playing in the high post with Jayson Tatum. Tatum then hit a mid-range pull-up jumper, and a sweet wraparound pass by Jaylen Brown to Kristaps for a corner three, saw the C’s get the first eight points of the game.
The eleventh-placed Western Conference team then raced back into the game with their own 8-point run as both teams settled into the early game. Steph Curry missed his first two three-point attempts before hitting his first make over Jaylen Brown; Boston held a 13-11 lead at the first timeout of the game.
Boston and Golden State traded buckets for the middle portion of the quarter before the Celtics raced out to a 14-1 run to end the quarter up, 29-18. Boston, which has been struggling from the three-point line in recent games, managed to reverse that trend in the first quarter, as the C’s finished the quarter 5-11 from three compared to a terrible 1-12 for the Warriors.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Golden State finally stopped the scoring drought at the nine-minute mark of the second quarter, as Kevon Looney grabbed an offensive rebound and had a put-back layup for his fourth point of the game.
A balanced scoring output for the Celtics saw all nine Boston players score in the first half, highlighted by Kristaps with 12 points, Jayson Tatum with 10 points, and Jrue Holiday adding 7 points also.
Golden State, who are 5-5 in the last 10 games and have won 2 straight games coming into Monday night’s matchup. However, the Warriors shot the ball extremely poorly with just 32 percent from the field and a dire 3-23 from three.
The Warriors were getting into the paint quite easily in the first half, which has been a worrying trend for Boston recently. Steph Curry managed to knife into the lane at the end of the half and score on consecutive layups, as the Warriors managed to keep the score somewhat respectable. The Warriors would end the half within striking distance after a disastrous shooting performance, Boston up 54-39.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Jrue Holiday kept his hot shooting going to start the third quarter, hitting on his 2nd three-pointer of the game and his tenth point. Kristaps looked to keep punishing the Warriors smaller interior defenders with a three-point play on a Steph Curry attempted wrap-up to take a 19-point lead.
Jaylen Brown, who was relatively quiet offensively in the first half, got in on the action in the third. The former California Golden Bear had a strong drive in the paint on former teammate Dennis Schröder, then hit a corner three-pointer on the break, as Boston went up 67-44.
Boston kept the foot on the gas well into the third, getting a lead out to as many as 30 points at one point, as the Warriors capitulation was pretty evident on both ends. Draymond Green was absent from the game for Golden State with a mild calf strain, as the team sits 9th in the conference ahead of the pending trade deadline.
Boston reeled off three straight triples from Hauser, Tatum and Pritchard with 3 minutes to go in the quarter, as the air well and truly left the building at the Chase center. Boston’s dominant third quarter performance saw them up 97-63 at the end of three quarters.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
With Boston playing 5 games in 7 nights, all eyes were on Coach Joe Mazzulla at the end of three to see how much more playing time the starters would see with the game pretty in hand. Jrue and Derrick were the only starters in the game to start the fourth quarter as Brown, Tatum, Horford and Porzingis got extended rest ahead of back-to-back games in Los Angeles.
Both teams cleared the bench early in the fourth and Boston looked to Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer to get some reps in to finish off the game on National TV. Jordan Walsh had some good minutes to end the game, hitting on a perfect 2 for 2 from three and Queta hit a free throw as twelve players scored on the night for Boston. Baylor Scheierman would also see some late gametime and hit on his first two shots and get the Celtics twentieth three-pointer of the night.
Top five scorer in the league, Jayson Tatum would lead the Celtics with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, Porzingis had 18 points with 3-7 from three, Brown added 17 points and Payton Pritchard would finish the game with 14 points.
Boston has a one-day break before traveling south to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on January 22nd and then the Lakers on the following night, January 23rd.
The Celtics begin their second 4 game Western road trip this month with a game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Celtics begin a 4 game road trip with a stop at the Chase Center to take on the Golden State Warriors. This is the second, and final, game between these two teams this season. The Celtics lost the first game 118-112 in Boston on November 6. Last season they split the series 1-1 with each team winning on their home court.
In fact, over the past 3 seasons, the Celtics and Warriors have split the series 1-1 every season. These two teams have had somewhat of similar seasons, starting fast and then bogging down. The Celtics got off to a 10-9 start but have gone 19-4 after that. The Warriors got off to a 12-3 start but have gone 9-17 since that start.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East, but are falling further behind the first place Cavaliers. They are now 6.5 games behind first place Cleveland. They are 2.5 games ahead of the 3rd place Knicks and 5 games ahead of 4th place Milwaukee. The Celtics are 14-5 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 6-4 against Western Conference teams and are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Warriors are 10th in the West, 13 games behind the 1st place Thunder, 2 games behind the 6th place Lakers and tied with 9th place Sacramento, and 11th place Phoenix. They are 11-10 at home and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are 6-7 against Eastern Conference opponents and they have won their last 2 games.
The Celtics are beginning a 4 game road trip that will continue through Los Angeles to face both the Clippers and the Lakers back to back and then at Dallas to finish the road trip. They then face Houston and Chicago at home before 3 more on the road through New Orleans, Philadelphia and Cleveland. Then one game at home against Dallas before playing at New York and Miami and home against San Antonio before the All Star Break.
The Warriors are playing in the second straight home game after beating Washington at home on Saturday. AFter this they will play at Sacramento before a 6 game home stand against Chicago, the Lakers, Utah, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and Orlando. They then have a 6 game road trip through Utah, the Lakers, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dallas, and Houston that will take him to the All Star Break.
The Celtics have just Drew Peterson on the injury list as he goes through concussion protocol. Jaylen Brown had a bad fall in Saturday’s game but at this time isn’t on the injury list. For the Warriors, Kyle Anderson is out with a hamstring injury. Brandin Podziemski is out with an injury to his abdomen. Jonathan Kuminga is out with an ankle injury. Draymond Green is out with a calf injury and Steph Curry is questionable with an ankle injury.
Curry left Saturday’s game with an ankle injury in the 4th quarter. After the game he sounded positive and like he expected to play in this game. If he can’t play, I would expect Dennis Schroder to start at the point and Buddy Hield to start at shooting guard. With Anderson and Kuminga both out, I am guessing that Looney may start for Green.
Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves Luke Kornet Payton Pritchard Neemias Queta Sam Hauser Baylor Scheierman Jaden Springer Xavier Tillman, Sr Jordan Walsh Al Horford
2 Way Players JD Davison Drew Peterson Anton Watson
Warriors Reserves Kyle Anderson Buddy Hield Moses Moody Gary Payton II Gui Santos Lindy Waters III
2 Way Players Quinten Post Pat Spencer
Injuries/Out Kyle Anderson (hamstring) out Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) out Brandin Podziemski (abdomen) out Stephen Curry (ankle) questionable Draymond Green (calf) out
Head Coach Steve Kerr
Key Matchups
Jrue Holiday vs Stephen Curry Curry is averaging 23 points, 5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 45% from the field and 41.1% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals and 1 block while shooting 47.1% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc. Slowing Curry down is important if the Celtics want to get a win in this game.
Jaylen Brown vs Andrew Wiggins Wiggins is averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He is shooting 45.6% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 16 points and 2 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from the field but didn’t hit a 3 pointer. He is coming off a 31 point game and can have a big game if not well defended.
Honorable Mention Derrick White vs Dennis Schroder Schroder is averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He is shooting 41.9% from the field and 35.2% from beyond the arc. In games this season against the Celtics, Schroder finished with 18 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals while shooting 45.5% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is always the key to winning. The Celtics are 5th in the league, averaging 117.5 points per game. They are 5th in the league with a defensive rating of 109.8. The Warriors are 18th in the league, averaging 111.4 points per game. The Warriors are 9th with a defensive rating of 111.0. The Celtics have played good defense in spurts recently. They need to get back to playing lock down defense consistently. It is highly likely that the team that plays the toughest defense in this game will be the winner.
Rebound - Rebounding is always a key to winning as you need the ball to score and a good way to get it is to grab rebounds. It takes effort to grab rebounds and the Celtics must make an extra effort to crash the boards and beat the Warriors to rebounds. If they put out extra effort on the boards, that usually carries through to the rest of their game. More rebounds gives them extra possessions and limits the possessions for the Warriors. The Warriors are 3rd with 46.6 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 9th with 45.2 rebounds per game.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics need to be the more aggressive team from start to finish. They need to be aggressive in going to the hoop, in crashing the boards, in fighting for loose balls and in running the court. They also have to be more aggressive on defense. They have to be the team that wants it more. When the Celtics have lost this season, it’s mostly been because they allowed their opponents to be more aggressive and to play harder than them. Effort and being more aggressive will likely be the difference in this game.
Three Pointers - Both of these teams shoot a lot of 3 pointers. The Celtics are 1st in the league, shooting 49.1 threes a game. The Warriors are 4th, shooting 41.3 threes a game. The Celtics shoot 36.2% from beyond the arc while the Warriors shoot 36.5% on threes. Recently the Celtics have struggled as a team shooting 3’s. They have to get their focus back on track and hit their threes and if they still aren’t falling, they need to get into the paint.
X-Factors On the Road- The Celtics are on the road and have traveled across the country through 3 time zones to get there. The Celtics need to shake off the distractions of travel, being away from home, and playing on the road in front of a hostile crowd, not to mention jet lag and getting used to a different time zone. They need to cfocus on playing the right way and not on the distractions of playing on the road.
Officiating - Officiating always has the potential to be a factor in every game. Every officiating team calls the game differently. Some call it tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team while some call it evenly. However the game is called, the Celtics must adjust to it and not allow the officiating to take away their focus on playing the game. Complaining about calls rarely changes anything other than to take away from their focus on playing the game and irritate the officials.
And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community.
How are the Celtics balancing their double big lineups this season? With Porzingis and Horford anchoring different approaches, Boston faces trade-offs in spacing, rim protection, and possession battles. Are they finding the right formula for success?
If you’ve been watching the Boston Celtics a lot this season – or reading CelticsBlog – you must have noticed that Joe Mazzulla and his coaching staff have increased their usage of the double big lineup concept. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics have played 1,255 possessions with two big men on the floor and 2,622 with only one. Essentially, the Celtics spend about one-third of their time with two bigs.
When they play with one big, Al Horford has been the lone big man for 828 possessions, Luke Kornet for 680, Kristaps Porzingis for 588, and Neemias Queta for 526. The rotation is quite mixed due to injuries, rest needed for Horford, and varying matchups. The double big lineup also involves various combinations, but most of the time (985 possessions), Horford is the second big.
Why does it matter?
Now that we know the Celtics are alternating between double and single big lineups – and that most double big lineups feature Horford as the second big man – we need to examine the numbers to understand how each approach has worked this season. To assess the impact of these tactical decisions, we’ll analyze spacing, rim protection, and the possession battle. These are key aspects of modern basketball, and the number of big men on the floor directly influences all three.
More size theoretically improves rim protection because it allows for a big man to stay near the rim as a safety. Rebounding also tends to improve with size, helping win the possession battle. Additionally, size can crowd the paint and generate more turnovers.
However, more size can shrink spacing. It’s rare to have big men who are respected threats beyond the three-point line. Thus, the more big men on the floor, the trickier it becomes to maintain optimal spacing for driving lanes.
This was one reason Brad Stevens and his staff traded for Kristaps Porzingis last summer. With Porzingis or Horford as the lone big, the spacing is far better than with two bigs on the court. When Horford plays with Porzingis, defenses tend to leave Horford open from three, making his shooting more impactful when he’s the lone big man.
A single-big lineup also offers defensive flexibility. With Porzingis as the lone big, the Celtics can switch screens while keeping him close to the rim or play drop coverage in pick-and-roll situations. When Horford plays alongside wings and guards, he can switch on every screen or drop as well. With this context in mind, we’ll evaluate spacing, rim protection, and the possession battle for the different approaches.
Is the spacing really better with one big?
The screenshots above illustrate why double big lineups seem to create spacing issues. However, we need numbers to confirm this, because conclusions based on visuals alone can be misleading. To evaluate the Celtics’ spacing, we’ll examine rim frequency, efficiency, and the ability to draw fouls – essentially, how often and effectively the Celtics attack the rim.
The data quickly highlights that the Celtics’ spacing is best when Porzingis is the lone big. With him, the Celtics achieve their highest rim frequency, efficiency, and free-throw generation. Conversely, when Horford is the lone big, the Celtics lack rim pressure, with only 20% of shots within four feet of the basket and just 17 free throws made per 100 field goal attempts.
Double big lineups also show worse spacing compared to lineups with Porzingis alone. However, the numbers with Horford as the lone big and those with double bigs are quite similar. This can be attributed to two main factors. First, Horford is less respected as a shooter than Porzingis. Second, Porzingis’ positioning often maximizes spacing compared to Horford being in the corner most of the time.
Porzingis creates more spacing because he positions himself one pass away from a drive, while Horford is often stationed in the corner. A shooter in the corner provides less spacing than one positioned two steps beyond the arc on the wing or in the slot.
Horford’s floor spacing doesn’t vary much whether he’s a lone big or part of a double big lineup. Thus, it makes sense that spacing isn’t as strong with him compared to Porzingis. Offensively, we can conclude that double big lineups don’t optimize spacing compared to a lone Porzingis. However, spacing is similar whether Horford plays as a center or power forward. Now that we’ve analyzed rim attacks, let’s examine rim protection.
Is the double big lineup better at protecting the rim?
Defensively, the Celtics look very different depending on who plays center and how many bigs are on the floor. The aim is often to keep a big man near the rim or switch to prevent defensive gaps. It’s no surprise, then, that the numbers differ significantly depending on the approach.
With Porzingis as the lone big, the Celtics excel defensively, reducing opponents’ rim efficiency and attempts. On average, NBA teams take 32% of their shots at the rim at 66% efficiency, but with Porzingis anchoring the defense, the Celtics’ numbers are elite. In contrast, Horford’s lone big numbers explain why he’s often paired with another center this season.
As Horford ages, switch-heavy defenses become less effective. He struggles more against quick wings than before. While the Celtics use him in drop coverage, he lacks the length and instincts of elite drop bigs like Porzingis. Pairing him with another big helps offset these limitations.
Defensively, Porzingis as a lone big outperforms other approaches. Still, the double big lineup has its advantages in the possession battle.
The double big lineup generates more possessions
Despite its drawbacks, such as spacing and rim protection, the double big lineup has upsides. It excels at generating extra possessions.
Double big lineups are highly effective at offensive rebounding, ranking in the 86th percentile among lineups with over 100 possessions. Additionally, they secure more defensive rebounds and generate more turnovers, often leading to fast breaks.
Surprisingly, the Celtics are better in transition when they play bigger. By winning the possession battle, they create more transition opportunities despite the perceived limitations of size.
What to conclude?
Concerns about Porzingis’ lone big minutes and his negative net rating are overblown. The Celtics have simply experienced bad shooting luck when he’s on the floor. With opponents shooting 42% from three in these lineups compared to the Celtics’ 31%, regression to the mean will likely restore balance.
The double big lineup also has its strengths. It helps preserve Horford’s legs, wins possession battles, and provides depth. With Kornet and Queta exceeding expectations, a healthy Horford and Porzingis, and Tillman ready if needed, the Celtics have one of the deepest and most flexible big man rotations in the league.
When the playoffs arrive, this versatility will be invaluable in adapting to different matchups.
The collapse at the end of regulation in their overtime loss to the Hawks was shocking to say the least.
With 21 seconds to go, the Celtics had the ball up 3 and were set to inbound after a Trae Young technical foul.
Then, all hell broke loose.
Jrue Holiday had a wide-open layup to bury Atlanta and put the Celtics up 105-100 with about 16 seconds to go. Take the layup! Why is he dribbling the ball away from the basket, Especially into the corner where something bad will likely happen?
Anyways, he does and then turns the ball over while attempting a pass to Jaylen Brown.
The Hawks get the ball, the Celtics foul and Trae Young makes a pair of free throws. Fouling up 3 is always the correct decision; I don’t understand why some coaches don’t do it.
The Celtics get the ball back and catch a break because Jayson Tatum was fouled as he was falling out of bounds.
Then, Tatum stepped to the line, making the first.
The second...
Tatum, an 80% free throw shooter, had not missed one all night so he was likely due for a miss. However, that doesn’t excuse it. You have to make your free throws. Barstool’s Dan Greenberg was ready to have a breakdown.
He is right but okay, the Celtics were still up 2 with 7.9 seconds left and the Hawks had no timeouts.
In the most shocking play of the night, Jrue Holiday fouled Young as he was bringing the ball up the court.
He clearly grabs his wrist in what looks like an intentional foul. However, Joe Mazzulla said it was not after the game.
Joe Mazzulla said Jrue Holiday’s foul wasn’t intentional and that they have to have better late-game execution (and consistency throughout): pic.twitter.com/dM7b0xJoKH
But it sure looked like Holiday grabbed his wrist on purpose. It looks like Holiday did not know the score, which cannot happen in that situation. I am not saying he thought the Celtics were up 3, but I can’t think of another reason that he would have fouled there.
After Young made both free throws, the Celtics got the ball with 3.5 seconds to go.
They inbounded to Tatum and NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine called it out on the broadcast that Onyeka Okongwu is able to affect Tatum’s catch because he is cheating off of Neemias Queta who is clearly not going to get the ball. Why is Queta even on the court? Mazzulla had gone with a lineup of Pritchard, Holiday, White, Brown and Tatum for earlier possessions and if he wanted a big man out there, but why not Luke Kornet? He is a far better offensive player than Queta is.
I just don’t understand why Joe loves Queta so much, he constantly gets lost on defense and is a bad defensive rebounder.
Anyways, Tatum missed the shot and we headed to overtime, where the Celtics lost.
In overtime, there was an offensive rebound that Okongwu got after of a pair of missed free throws with the C’s down one. Another mistake by the Celtics and it was Queta who was out of position on this one that allowed for Okongwu to grab the rebound.
It is infuriating to lose a game like this, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It has happened too much recently for the Celtics.
Insanely annoying
Celts had a lead or were tied heading into the 4th quarter in 3 of these 4 losses (OKC/SAC/ATL) pic.twitter.com/Gw1s6YNura
They have not played well enough in the 4th quarter of games as of late and they need to figure it out.
I think they’ll be okay, this is still an elite team that won the championship last season but that does not make this not frustrating. We know the Celtics can win games like this — we saw them do it in the playoffs a season ago. They just need to find it and figure this out.
Jaylen Brown drives past De’Andre Hunter during overtime Saturday. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
It starts with the end of regulation.
Despite their inconsistency Saturday night, the Celtics still had a chance to come away with a rocky yet significant win over the Hawks.
Instead, they watched a three-point lead with 20.1 seconds left disappear, which sent the game to overtime. In the extra period, the Celtics fell flat once again, suffering a 119-115 loss that will likely go down as one of the worst of the season.
Here are 10 takeaways:
1) It starts with the end of regulation.
When Jayson Tatum made a technical free throw with 20.1 seconds left in regulation, the Celtics found themselves up three with the finish line in sight. Jrue Holiday then tossed the ball out of bounds and fouled Trae Young on the ensuing play.
Young trimmed it to 1 with 9.1 seconds left, then Tatum missed a free throw and Holiday inexplicably fouled Young with 3.1 seconds left. Perhaps he thought the Celtics were up three, or perhaps he was just a little too aggressive. Either way, the miscue was enough to send it to overtime, as Tatum missed an off-balance jumper as time expired.
2) They couldn’t capitalize in overtime.
Once again, the Celtics found themselves in an ideal spot to prevail. Once again, the Hawks made more plays down the stretch. It wasn’t quite as egregious as the fourth quarter, but it was equally detrimental.
Tatum missed another deep two in the final seconds, allowing the Hawks to prevail. It’s a shot Tatum’s capable of making in the flow of the game, but one he often seems to miss when everything is on the line. An extra pass may have paid dividends.
3) Luke Kornet was everywhere, then didn’t play late.
Luke Kornet had a monster first half and ultimately finished the game with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists. He fared admirably with Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford out and made his presence felt on both ends.
Then, down the stretch, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla elected to go with Neemias Queta in some of the game’s critical moments. There’s nothing wrong with Queta, and his length is certainly an asset, but Kornet did enough to earn those minutes late.
Kornet is just the 7th player in Celtic history to have at least 6 offensive rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks in a game (Bird, Parish, Sullinger, Pierce, Antoine, Rob Williams)
Payton Pritchard, who poured in 20 points, made the crowd “ooh” and “aah” on a ridiculous dribble sequence and jumper in the first half. He helped the Celtics build a lead in the fourth, burying back-to-back 3’s.
The bigger the moment, the more likely Pritchard is to thrive. The TD Garden crowd responds to his intensity. He almost secured a huge steal late, but he couldn’t quite corral it.
5) It was a game of runs.
The Celtics led, 33-21, through one, then the Hawks used a 31-15 second quarter to build a 52-48 halftime lead. Tatum came alive to give Boston a 78-73 cushion through three, then the lead swelled to 10 early in the fourth before the Celtics collapsed.
Basketball is a game of runs, and the Hawks are a talented team, but it would behoove the Celtics to play with more consistency moving forward.
6) The hustle plays dwindled.
In the first quarter, the Celtics gobbled up offensive rebounds and hustled to secure 50/50 balls.
As the game progressed, momentum shifted Atlanta’s way in that regard. It seemed like every break that could have gone the Hawks’ way did.
Early in overtime, Tatum and Onyeka Okongwu got tangled up near the rim. Tensions flared, and Mazzulla enthusiastically rushed onto the court, clapping his hands in approval.
It ended up amounting to nothing, but it encapsulated how the game became more and more intense as it progressed. While Boston certainly let one get away, Atlanta deserves credit for capitalizing.
Jaylen Brown (24 points) was lethal in the first quarter, fizzled as the game progressed, then hit a big shot late in regulation to give Boston a two-point lead.
His inconsistency mirrored that of the team. Brown finished 9 for 27, while Tatum was 7 for 21, Derrick White 7 for 20 and Sam Hauser 0 for 7.
Late in the game, Brown went airborne and appeared to slam his head on the floor.
9) Trae Young came alive.
The Celtics held Young to two points in the first quarter, and he missed some shots he usually makes, but he didn’t get discouraged.
Young is a truly elite passer and truly elite shooter, and he showcased both skills Saturday night. He had success exploiting the Celtics in the pick and roll, driving down the middle and reading the defense from inside the free-throw line.
10) It was a bad loss, but they have to quickly put it behind them.
The Celtics let this one get away. They know it, the Hawks know it and the fans know it.
As demoralizing as it was, they can’t dwell on it for long. Another difficult West Coast trip starts Monday against the Warriors, and there’s no time like the present to regain their mojo.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum | Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
How will they disappoint everyone next?
Saturday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks might’ve been the worst of the season for the Boston Celtics. What’s really sad is that I could’ve used that line two other times in the last eight days.
It was pretty tough to imagine that they’d be able to top the lifeless effort that they showed up at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday, but they did. Boston’s 13th loss of the season had it all: missed layups, poor defense, second-chance points, questionable offense, and game-costing mental lapses.
Let’s take a quick walk through the house of horrors, shall we?
The Cs actually started this game pretty strong and left the first quarter with a 12-point lead over Atlanta. Fans got their first warning that they could be in for it early in the second when Boston SMOKED back-to-back fastbreak chances.
They spent the remainder of the quarter missing shot after shot as the Hawks flew past them to capture the lead. The Celtics shot just 5-21 in the period and turned the ball over six times. It was a BRUTAL watch (as has been the last month and a half).
Though Boston recovered nicely in the third quarter, they still sprinkled in some impressive misses from point-blank range.
Considering this game went to overtime, these misses just hurt that much more.
If you want to talk about pain, look no further than the fourth quarter. It wouldn’t be a January Celtics loss without a fourth quarter letdown, now would it?
Boston’s unfocused defense reared its ugly head as they allowed Atlanta to climb back once again.
It’s incredible. We’ve seen plays like the ones above in several of these recent losses. There has been absolutely no sustainedchange somehow. Sure, they looked good against the Orlando Magic on Friday night, but that sort of effort was nowhere to be found when they needed it.
The lone bright spot in this game was Payton Pritchard’s hot scoring stretch that fueled the offense in the fourth.
He poured in 13 points on 5-6 from the field, including this behemoth triple at a pretty important part of the game.
THIS WAS THE LAST SHOT THAT HE HAD.
HOW???????
The guy just injected life into a team that looked dead for half the quarter and then he’s just left out?
The Celtics literally wasted a possession trying to switch Trae Young off of Pritchard and onto Jayson Tatum, so Tatum could attack him, only for it to result in a 30-foot heave.
Why wouldn’t they just let Pritchard work on Young?
Of course, everyone saw, or at least knows about, the absolute disaster stretch at the end of regulation. That’s right, “stretch,” not “moment.” This wasn’t just one mistake — it was several. After Onyeka Okungwu threw a bad pass out of bounds, it felt like the Cs were about to dribble the clock out for their 30th win of the year.
Then this happened.
Boston was still in control and decided to take a foul to give the Hawks two free throws to protect the three-point lead. The moment when the Cs lost control was when Jayson Tatum went 1-2 from the line on the following possession, only moving the lead back up to two, rather than three.
Everyone knew what the difference was, except for Jrue Holiday, who unintentionally fouled Trae Young and gave him a pair of free throws to send the game to overtime. The sequence of unforced errors erased a much-needed win from the win column.
What cemented it in the loss column was the inability to finish defensive possessions in overtime. I’m not going to go in and pull clips of this. What I can tell you is that the Hawks only missed four shots in OT. They had three offensive rebounds, one of which came with a chance for Boston to secure possession and a chance to win the game.
We’ve reached a point where the Celtics are trying to tell us who they are and we’re just going to have to listen. It’s going to take quite a bit now to convince me they’ve figured something out. Friday’s win was great, but it clearly did nothing. All of the bad habits resurfaced once the threes stopped finding the bottom of the net — the way it’s gone all season.
News and rumors from Boston Celtics live tweets and video via Twitter
Keep up with the Boston Celtics on TikTok for behind-the-scenes team activity, highlight replays, fun facts, roster transactions, and community news and video.
Online sites for Boston Celtics basketball NBA live stream
Fans of the Boston Celtics can watch their team on various streaming services. Here's a guide to help you find the best options, prioritizing free services and those with free trials:
Free Streaming Options:
1. NBA.com: The NBA and its broadcast partner TNT occasionally offer free streamed presentations of particular games. To check availability, visit NBA.com and look for the "Watch" link next to the scheduled game. If available, you'll see "Watch TNT" as an option.
2. TNT Overtime: Sometimes available within the NBA League Pass selection box on NBA.com, offering free streaming for select games.
Paid Streaming Services with Free Trials:
1. YouTube TV: Offers a free trial period. Sign up here.
2. Hulu + Live TV: Provides a free trial. Sign up here.
3. fuboTV: Includes a free trial period. Sign up here.
Regional sports networks (RSNs) often air local NBA games. Ensure your streaming service package includes the relevant RSN.
Some streaming providers allow sign-in using credentials from your existing cable, satellite, or telco TV provider without additional cost.
By exploring these options, you can find the best way to watch Boston Celtics games, whether through free streams or by taking advantage of free trials from paid services.
TD Garden Arena location and map
TD Stadium Arena 100 Legends Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 617-624-1331 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. https://www.tdgarden.com/
Contact the Boston Celtics NBA Basketball organization Boston Celtics Arena and Headquarters 226 Causeway Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 866-4CELTIX Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. http://www.nba.com/celtics
