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“This was a great learning lesson, we got cocky with the four-game winning streak,” Celtics swingman Gerald Wallace said after that streak was snapped by Charlotte’s 89-83 win.
“Our confidence was up, we were feeling good about ourselves, and we just felt like we would show up tonight and playing the Bobcats, it’s an easy win. Like we don’t have to do nothing, not put forth effort. They turned on like a light switch and they came out to win the game.”
“I don’t think we won one loose ball,” Wallace said. “I think they got all the offensive rebounds. All the plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, they won, hands down, it wasn’t even close.”
“We were moving the ball, but it was like we were cool moving the ball,” Wallace said. “Like it was going to come to us easy — ‘all we gotta do is turn it on at any minute and win this game.’ It was like we were just chilling.”
You knew Gerald Wallace was going to rattle off some criticism following last night’s loss to Charlotte.
It’s hard to fathom how a team like the Celtics could be overconfident against any opponent. There seemed to be a lull over the entire arena last night. Even the fans were in a “It’s only Charlotte mood.”
There’s no sense in blasting the team for the effort. It happens.
ESPN’s Chris Forsberg shows us how much the Celtics miss Jared Sullinger when he’s off the floor:
Here’s the nitty gritty: Sullinger has been a plus/minus beast for Boston since he slid into its lap in the 2012 draft. In the 138 minutes he’s played this season, Boston is plus-30 and owns glossy ratings (points per 100 possessions) on both offense (107.4) and defense (98.9). In the 294 minutes that Sullinger has been off the floor, Boston is minus-38 and its ratings sputter on offense (94.4) and defense (100.8).
Sullinger’s impact is impossible to ignore; good things happen when he’s on the court. The team rebounds better, it defends better, it passes better. The second-year forward is an extremely important part of any success this team will enjoy this season. To bottom line it: The Celtics are 0-2 in the games he’s missed this season and 4-3 when he’s played.
Wallace added that Sullinger is the only true post-up threat on the Celtics. When he’s out, they become a perimeter team. And on a night when shots aren’t falling, that’s a problem.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – Kitty litter | Crawford: They played harder than us | Herald – C’s don’t do the hustle | Celts let streak get in heads | ESPN Boston – Rapid Reaction Bobcats 89 Celtics 83 | Lackadaisical is a dirty word | MassLive – Brooks not happy |
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