BOSTON — The Celtics tried to put together a late comeback effort, but they lost 105-103 to the Jazz on Monday at TD Garden. Jusuf Nurkic’s put-back layup with 0.6 seconds left in the game put the Jazz ahead for good. Boston fell to 3-5 on the year and Utah improved to 3-4.
While the Celtics were up double-digits early, the Jazz refused to stay down. Part of that was a Boston offense that was cold throughout the night. The C’s couldn’t generate consistent or easy looks as both sides struggled with their efficiency. The Jazz had a huge third quarter, outscoring the C’s 38-26.
The Jazz extended their lead to 11 points in the fourth quarter, leading to a restless crowd. But the C’s stole momentum at multiple points to force a close game. They forced turnovers and got some missed free throws down the stretch, igniting the crowd.
On Utah’s final possession, Nurkic grabbed the Jazz’s 15th offensive rebound of the night as he got the game-winning bucket. The Jazz outscored the C’s 54-40 in the paint with a huge edge in the third quarter. It was also a 55-36 rebounding advantage for the Jazz, with Nurkic’s last board sealing the deal.
Jaylen Brown scored 36 points to lead the Celtics, including some big-time buckets down the stretch. Payton Pritchard had 18 points while Anfernee Simons added 15. Keyonte George was a consistent threat, finishing with 31 points. Nurkic had 11 points and 11 rebounds, including the game-winner.
The Celtics host the Wizards at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at TD Garden next. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Utah:
Comeback falls short: The Celtics looked like they were going to steal this game as they had their chances to finish the game. But in the end, Nurkic’s bucket to put the Jazz ahead was enough to stun the home crowd. Brown came up with huge makes down the stretch as he finished a plus-21 in 38 minutes. But the Celtics offense was inefficient all night, and by the time they found a spark, it was too late. It was another close loss for the Celtics to open the season.
Shooting a struggle: The Celtics shot plenty of 3-pointers, but converting on those opportunities was an issue. Boston finished just 11-for-51 from behind the arc for a 21.6% mark as makes were a struggle. The misses dragged the C’s offense down as part of an inefficient night. Brown finished 0-for-9 from deep while other shooters couldn’t convert from deep either like Simons going 2-for-8 and Sam Hauser at 1-for-8. The Celtics also looked like they were pressing all night as the missed 3s put pressure on all facets of their game.
Trying to find a spark: The Celtics offense was lethargic through portions of the game as coach Joe Mazzulla went through nearly his entire rotation. Through three quarters, 12 different players saw at least four minutes played. There’s been a lot of experimentation through the early parts of the season with that trend continuing Monday. But as the Celtics struggled offensively, it also appeared like Mazzulla was trying to find anyone who would give the home team some momentum.
These types of games: The Celtics weren’t expected to make a ton of noise this season with their margin of error much slimmer. In that context, Monday’s games are the ones the Celtics need to win over the course of a long season. The Jazz have struggled to open the season, plus they entered on the second game of a back-to-back. Despite that, the Jazz pressured the Celtics all night. These types of games happen for the Celtics, but considering they’re coming off the blowout Rockets loss, it was a disappointing result for Boston.
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