Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“We’ve been having criticism all year. It can’t be no worse than what it is now,” Morris said after the Celtics’ 110-96 loss to the Nets. “So we just tell ourselves, keep going, man. Everybody is going to doubt us because of the year we had, but when the playoffs hit it’s basically a new season, so we still have a chance to turn this thing around.
“Probably 10 years from now they’ll do a ’30 for 30′ on this team.”
Right now the direction of that script is extremely uncertain.
As the pattern has so often revealed this season, just when the Celtics log a seeming playoff-worthy effort — witness Friday’s win over Indiana — they undo their good work the following night. Remarkably, the Celtics remain tied with Indiana for the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed after the Pacers’ loss to Orlando last night.
Kyrie Irving (sore lower back) and Al Horford (knee) sat this one out, healing up for the playoffs, and even those two absences weren’t enough to explain the reversal.
Less than 24 hours after an electric, potentially momentum-building win over the Pacers at the Garden, the Celtics reverted back to their maddening ways in a mind-numbing, yet predictable loss to the Nets.
The offense resembled what you might find in any YMCA 40+ rec league. The defense, in what tends to happen when the offense fizzles, lacked the proper intensity and focus.
These are your 2018-19 Boston Celtics and nothing is changing that, not even the arrival of playoffs.
There is very little margin for error with this team and that’s magnified when its two most impactful players are “resting” or “injured.” I believe this team should be playing balls-to-the-wall for home-court advantage in the 1st round. They are nowhere near good enough or consistent enough to assume victory over any team.
I realize teams have all sorts of medical and scientific evidence to support their reasons for rest, but…
If the C’s lose this and then are the 5-seed by one game it will piss me off that Kyrie and Al sat out, seemingly more for maintenance than injury, when neither are even in the top 60 in the league in total minutes played.
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) March 30, 2019
The Celtics are 27-12 at home (+6.8 net rtg), 18-20 on the road (+1.4 net rtg). Play well enough to secure home court and then rest. Is it really that hard?
Some contend that if the Celtics need home court to beat Indiana, they’re not good enough to win in Round 2 and beyond. Poppy-cock. Injuries can happen in a blink and have a tremendous impact on any series.
Related links: Globe – Shorthanded Celtics stumble in Brooklyn | NBC Sports – Saturday’s loss reminder of Celtics being predictably unpredictable | Mass Live – 10 things we learned
On Page 2, Terry Rozier stinks.
In his last two games, Rozier has scored a total of three points. On Saturday, he finished 1-for-8, and in his last five games, he’s shooting 32.5 percent from the floor and 23 percent from behind the arc.
Starting often seems to give Rozier a boost, but his struggles continued despite Irving’s absence on Saturday.
Rozier was a -23 last night.
He played just 15 minutes vs Indiana, about 7 minutes fewer than his average.
Going forward, the less Rozier we see, the better.
The rest of the links
NBC – Cs loss despite strong Hayward game a rarity
Mass Live – Stevens doesn’t think the Celtics value possessions
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