Celtics learning from losing after brutal loss in Cleveland

Truths are not mutually exclusive.

“Dean Wade made some tough shots. That was crazy.” That’s true.

“The Boston Celtics got caught ball-watching. Their defensive execution late in the game helped the Cleveland Cavaliers get back in the game.” That’s also true.

“Any given night, you can lose,” said Jaylen Brown. “Tonight, obviously in this fashion, Wade scores 20 in the fourth and da-da-da-la-la, everything goes their way. We haven’t really seen a team storm back like that. But, you know, it happens. It’s the league, the NBA, anything can happen.”

A tough loss rarely lives in absolutes. If Wade didn’t catch fire on Tuesday night, the Celtics likely would have hung on to win that game. Simultaneously, had Boston maintained their defensive focus, they would have been able to stop the bleeding. “This is a mentality loss,” Brown admitted post-game.

“Jayson Tatum shooting 1-of-8 in the fourth quarter while Jaylen Brown gets zero shots and Derrick White gets five is rough.” That’s true.

“Tatum was on fire in the first half and missed some shots he usually makes.” That’s true, too.

Seeing Brown with zero attempts in the fourth induces some frustration, but he didn’t have a particularly efficient game. And in the final five minutes, the Celtics doled out shots evenly. Three for Tatum, three for Kristaps Porzingis, two for Jrue Holiday, and one for White.

“The final few moments of the game were scuffed.” Very true.

Had the referees not called a foul on Tatum, Porzingis still probably wouldn’t have had time for the tip-in based on the time remaining. However, the clock issues following the challenge were problematic.

The referees didn’t put any time back on the clock, and the operator started the game clock when Porzingis tipped the ball back, not when White gained possession. That should not have happened. Boston should have had the ball with roughly 0.5 seconds left.

“If Boston hadn’t blown the game, they wouldn’t have been in a position to let that affect the game.” Perhaps the biggest truth of them all.

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When a team blows a 22-point lead, nobody’s first reaction is going to be rational. Frustrations boil over, nitpicking ensues, and blame naturally needs to be placed.

Something needs to come out of this game, but the Celtics have made it a point to make that their focus.

Boston has lost two games in a row once this year. Joe Mazzulla has continuously emphasized, often exaggeratingly, the importance of close games. He’s even said he wants to see the Celtics blow leads more often to help them grow.

Porzingis reiterated that same sentiment after the loss to Cleveland.

“[This was] a good loss for us,” Porzingis said.

Losing may sting, and fans may riot, but it keeps the Celtics grounded.

“I think it’s healthy for us,” Porzingis continued. “We do have a feeling like, that we’re pretty much like, we’re going to win every game. We’re invincible. We’re going to win this game. No matter what happens, we’re like, ‘Pff, we got this.’

“A little bit of that feeling is always there. And it’s maybe healthy, but it’s also healthy to get a loss here and there to kind of like, alright, here we go, let’s recalibrate a little bit and have that attention to detail again. So, I think it’s completely fine, and I think it’s necessary for us to keep building.”

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Boston fans will be Boston fans. And they have every right to be upset. Blowing a 22-point lead is a bad look. Plain and simple. No ifs, buts, or maybes. But context is important, and it goes back to the idea of dueling truths.

“The Celtics have the best record in the league, and this loss won’t matter in a couple of months.” Almost certainly true.

This squad is still 48-13 – the best record in the NBA by a wide margin. By the time the playoffs roll around, it’s unlikely people will be looking back on this one loss at the beginning of March as a significant one.

“There is no excuse for losing in that fashion, and the Celtics need to learn from this and be better.” Absolutely true, and the team would agree.

If the Celtics have displayed anything this year, it’s maturity. This is a different team than the ones from years past. They accept their mistakes. But they don’t dwell on them.

So, as fans air their frustrations, the Celtics will be studying from this game, growing from it, and leaving it in the past.