Shaughnessy: Celtics Inability To Close Out Games 'Really Annoying'
BOSTON (CBS) - The Celtics are a young, rebuilding team that so far on the 2014-15 season has been fun to watch.
They play hard, push the pace offensively, jack up a ton of three-pointers and have failed to score 100 points just twice.
But a troubling trend is developing, and it's starting to annoy the Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy.
Shaughnessy was a guest of 98.5 The Sports Hub's Gresh & Zolak Tuesday afternoon.
"Their inability to close games has become really annoying. I saw them blow an 18-point lead Friday night against Cleveland," said Shaughnessy. "And people booing at the end of last night, I don't blame them."
Shaughnessy is of course referring to the Celtics 118-114 loss to Phoenix on Monday night.
Under a minute to play with the score tied at 114 apiece, C's guard Avery Bradley attempted an ill-advised crosscourt pass, which was intercepted by the Suns' Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe went in alone for a dunk to put Phoenix up with 29.5 seconds to play.
It was another missed opportunity for the Celtics, and at 3-6 the C's can ill-afford to keep making these same mistakes.
Andy Gresh attributes these end-of-game struggles to the Celtics lacking a true superstar, somebody who demands the basketball and someone who can take that last shot.
But the problems on this team are much deeper than just that.
"The defense is in the bottom five [of the league]. They've been a sieve. Way too much of that. They're 3-6, they were 3-3. It's a little discouraging what we're seeing right now," said Shaughnessy.
Hopefully the Celtics can close out a game and take care of the 0-10 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
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