Sounds Like The Celtics Don't Care About The Regular Season Anymore
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics really don't care for the regular season anymore. Maybe we shouldn't either.
The Celtics dropped their fourth straight game Wednesday night, a 97-92 loss to the Blazers on their home floor. It's their longest losing streak of the season, and they've now dropped six of their last 10 after winning 10 of 11. The skid has them firmly entrenched in the fifth-seed in the Eastern Conference, and it's looking more and more like that's where they'll be once the playoffs arrive. That means they probably won't have the benefit of a single home series in the playoffs, which will be problematic for a team that is just 14-16 away from TD Garden.
While there were some itty bitty baby steps in the right direction in Wednesday night's defeat, the same old issues were present throughout. Boston looked like they actually gave a damn for long stretches, but there were also several moments (key moments) where they lacked effort and drive. Portland rattled off a 12-4 run out of halftime, turning a one-point lead into a nine-point advantage. Boston had some fight in the final frame, cutting a 10-point deficit to only five thanks to a 7-2 run with 1:26 to go. They had a great chance to get even closer when C.J. McCollum missed a three, but Marcus Smart jacked up a horrendous hero triple of his own that clanged off the back rim. Kudos to Brad Stevens for not dropping an F-Bomb for the second straight night after that shot; instead he opted for a blank stare that did all the talking.
That was one of Boston's 23 misses from beyond the arc on Wednesday night. They shot just 17.8 percent from downtown, going 5-for-28.
Desperation should be creeping in for the Celtics now. But it certainly doesn't sound that way for Irving, their supposed leader this year. He's just ready to end this "B.S." known as the regular season.
"You can't worry about the standings now. It's too late in the season," Irving said after Wednesday night's loss. "I mean, obviously the four or five spot, but one and two is pretty much locked up, 1-2-3. So, as long we get there. I can't wait for all this other B.S. about the regular season and keep getting better and talking over and over and over again about what we can do to keep getting better in the regular season. I just want to be at the highest level playing. I mean, that's what I'm here for."
The best part about the regular season ending will be that the Celtics no longer have to talk about the regular season. Unfortunately, then we have to hope they're actually ready for the playoffs, able to flip the proverbial switch that usually doesn't even exist.
Irving said losing streaks are part of the game and that he went through a similar situation in 2017 with the Cavaliers, when Cleveland stumbled toward the end of the regular season but went on an absolute tear in the playoffs (only to fall in the Finals). Hopefully this is Kyrie's way of saying they don't care about wins or losses anymore, and are just focused on finding their rhythm over the next six weeks.
That approach may work if the Celtics had the best player in the world, like Kyrie did back in 2017. But the Celtics only have a guy who thinks he's the best player in the world (and maybe even several of them). Maybe the pressure of trying to get back into the Top 3 in the conference will help them play a little looser, and in turn, a little better. Maybe they could even build a little momentum heading into the playoffs. But it could just as easily, and more likely, snowball in the wrong direction. While playing well should be the goal ahead of the playoffs, playing well and actually winning games should be their prerogative.
Again, there were some positives to take from yet another defeat. Their loss to the Blazers won't enter the sweepstakes for worst loss of the year, which at this point, is a positive. Jaylen Brown continued his solid stretch with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and only had to deal with one tongue-lashing from Irving during the contest. And as frustrating as his comments have been off the court, Irving continues to be a wizard on it, dropping a team-high 31 points on 14-for-24 shooting.
But those positive were negated by several factors. Irving decided not to play defense after the C's had cut it to a six-point game with 3:38 to go, letting Maurice Harkless drive for an easy dunk. Marcus Morris continues to struggle, going just 3-for-10 from the floor and 0-for-6 from three-point range, further hammering home that it may be time for Stevens to make a change in the starting five. The head coach also played Daniel Theis way too much; the big looked lost and occasionally terrified throughout his 10 minutes (it was a longgggg 10 minutes). Aron Baynes can't return soon enough.
And the Celtics didn't have any desire to drive to the basket against the Blazers, resulting in just 10 freebies on the night. This has been one of their biggest issues all season, averaging just 19.1 free throws per game. That's good for a last-place tie with the Orlando Magic. That has to change come the playoffs.
The Celtics appear to be OK with life as the five-seed, not wanting to reinvent the wheel before games really start to matter. At this point, that really is their only option. But they have no one to blame but themselves for this situation. They're going to need to give a damn for 48 minutes every night in the playoffs, so why not start now?