BOSTON — The Celtics are still learning to play with each other early in the season, but it’s clear their margin for error is significantly slimmer than past years. That was on full display as the Celtics lost 105-103 to the Jazz where they shot poorly from 3 and were heavily outrebounded.
It was a disappointing result against a rebuilding team like the Jazz. There was controversy mixed in, but the Celtics didn’t lose the game based off one play. As the C’s continue to gel and learn together, Payton Pritchard had a blunt promise following the loss Monday at TD Garden.
“It’s a new team, so we’re figuring it out,” Pritchard said. “We’re learning. We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to keep getting better at and we’re willing to work. So we’re going to get better at it and we’ll grow. And by the end of the season, I can promise we’re going to be a better team than when we started. So that’s a promise.”
While the Celtics started hot again, their lead disappeared as part of a brutal third quarter. The Jazz outscored them 38-26 in the frame, getting to the paint frequently. One of the early troubling trends for the Celtics has been these massive quarters where they’re giving up a gaudy point total over a 12-minute stretch.
The 3-point shooting also abandoned them as multiple players are going through slumps, which includes Pritchard and Derrick White. The Celtics finished just 11-for-51 (21.6%) on 3s, putting pressure on their defense Monday to get stops. It’s another area where the Celtics don’t have much margin for error as their 3-point shooting has been ice-cold as a team to open the season.
C’s coach Joe Mazzulla made it clear postgame: The Jazz not only outplayed the Celtics, but they also played harder. That can’t happen for a Boston team that needs to pride itself on its energy. Plus, the Jazz were coming off the second game of a back-to-back where they were blown out by the Hornets the night before. Pritchard acknowledged that, even pointing out how the Celtics were listless in the Rockets loss last time out.
“For us to have a chance this year, we got to come out with crazy energy,” Pritchard said. “We’ve got to have this pop. And I just feel like we last two games, we gave an excuse being tired the game before. And tonight, we had no excuse. So just a lack of energy. We’ve got to come out with more and fight like every game is going to be our last.”
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