Your Morning Dump... Where there's no place like home?

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“It sucks we lost, but we just have to focus on the Knicks now,” Thomas said. “Somehow we have to capitalize on these games at home, especially when we have a chance to win at the end. We can’t hold our heads on this loss. We have to move on to the next one and focus on getting a win in New York. That will be better than making one loss into two.”

ESPN Boston

IT saying the right things after a painful loss to OKC in Boston’s first home game after a 3-0 road trip. Fortunately (perhaps?), Boston’s playing in New York on Christmas.

NBA – HOME GAMES REMAINING

1. BOSTON 30
2. San Antonio 29
Sacramento 29

Celtics days on the road

Oct/Nov: 14
December: 17
January: 4

— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) December 23, 2016

That sure sounds like good news, right? Except Boston’s home/road split this season hasn’t been pretty. C’s have been genuine road warriors. They’re 6-5 at home this season and 11-7 on the road.

Oddly enough, the Celtics struggled at home in the early going last season as well. Before rattling off a 14 game home winning streak that stretched from January to March the Celtics were 9-10 at home and 10-6 on the road.

Page 2: Where Boston’s defense is coming around

“We were so bad at the beginning there was nowhere to go but up. I guess we couldn’t do anything but improve, right?”

The improvements have been clear not only strictly in points allowed, but in the way the Celtics set the tone for closeout fourth quarters and overtimes on defense during a four-game win streak heading into Friday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden.

On Tuesday, it was the aggregate of the constant pressure that Avery Bradley put on Memphis Grizzlies star Mike Conley that forced him to give up the ball on the final shot of regulation, then put up a flailing shot in the lane in a busted possession late in overtime.

On Thursday, it was the defense of Bradley and Jae Crowder on Paul George that limited the U.S. Olympic team member to 5-of-16 from the floor and 19 points in 41 minutes of Boston’s 109-102 triumph.

Providence Journal

Russell Westbrook put the Celtics away last night taking the shots Boston wanted him to take–heavily contested threes (Russ, on average, doesn’t make even three of those shots in nine). Sometimes the odds don’t pay off.

But on the whole, looking at the big picture, Boston’s defense is getting better.

Finally: Seriously? Seriously?

Tommy has a good question… "Who touched him?!" https://t.co/maLucJsves

— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) December 24, 2016

As a general rule, I think that complaining about refs misses the point–it shouldn’t come down to the refs. If the refs are in a position to affect the outcome of the game, your team missed plenty of opportunities to put the other team away as well.

HOWEVER.

What the HECK were the refs looking at here?