BOSTON — The Celtics never actually let the Clippers get the lead Sunday, but the visiting squad was relentless in trying to erase a 24-point deficit. James Harden took over for stretches in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics won 121-118 at TD Garden.
It was already the eighth time in 14 games where the C’s have played in a clutch game, which is defined as a game within five points in the last five minutes. Early on, they’ve struggled to close games. So as the Celtics fended off the Clippers, they got some valuable reps in what’s been an early area of weakness to open the year.
“We just made some plays down the stretch,” Jaylen Brown said. “I think our guys are getting comfortable in those moments. Some benefits, I guess, to playing a bunch of close games. We get some more experience, getting battle tested a little bit. So we were able to finish some plays down the stretch.”
The Celtics are now 3-5 in clutch games, 7-7 overall, so there’s no reason to sound the alarms this early in the year. Naturally, if a few possessions had gone differently in narrow losses, Boston’s record would look better. The C’s have also hovered around a top-10 net rating to open the season. But the record doesn’t necessarily reflect that because the C’s haven’t been able to come away with close wins.
Regardless, the Celtics are still incorporating new pieces and new roles this season. They’ve tried out different starting lineups as the fifth spot has rotated between whichever wing has stood out in recent games. That also meant the closing lineup looks different as it also depends on who’s playing well on a given night.
It’s clear the C’s are still a work-in-progress, but they showed growth Sunday. Even when the Clippers trimmed a 24-point game down to three, the Celtics stood strong multiple times and snatched momentum themselves. Brown was a big part of the equation, though he claimed he didn’t have a great game after missing shots. But the Celtics will need more of that leadership as they forge a new identity this season.
“The only thing he cares about is winning,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said of Brown. “So he’s finding a great balance of putting us in position to win, empowering his teammates and doing what he needs to do in games for us to give us a shot. Thirteen (points) in the fourth quarter, at the same time, playing defense, getting steals. All he cares about is winning and going about it the right way, and that’s a credit to him.”
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