Getty Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
On January 3, the Boston Celtics suffered a blowout loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
During his post-game press conference, Jaylen Brown gave a candid response as to why the Celtics struggled throughout the game and why they lost by such a significant margin.
“We probably had it coming to us… we pick and choose when we want to play… they embarrassed us.”
Jaylen Brown gets candid after tough loss to OKC
“We got our a** kicked. That’s what happened. When you come out, you take it for granted. That’s what happens. We probably had it coming to us, you know, came out last couple of games; we pick and chose when we wanna play. We wasn’t connected, didn’t have each others back out there, no help side defense, we didn’t guard our yard. And, those young boys over there came out, and they made us look bad. They embarrassed us. They kicked our a**,” Brown said.
The Celtics have now lost their first two games of 2023 and will need to snap out of their funk quickly. However, it’s worth noting that Brown was an offensive force against the Thunder, ending the game with 29 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound while shooting 61.1% from the field.
Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics Were Outplayed
Following Boston’s latest defeat, Joe Mazzulla cut a frustrated figure in his post-game press conference and was blunt in his assessment of how his team played, noting that Oklahoma out-performed his team in every aspect of the game.
“We got outplayed in every aspect of the game.”
Joe Mazzulla talks Celtics giving up 150 pts to OKC
“They played harder than us the entire game. Like I referenced the Phoenix game, you have to play with a sense of humility every night, knowing your opponent wants to beat you. And, we have to match that, and we didn’t, and we got outplayed – every aspect of the game,” Mazzulla said.
Since the start of December, the Celtics have looked like a team that is trying to figure things out. Their offense is no longer fluid, and their defense is porous across all three levels. As such, the Celtics look like a shadow of the team that dominated the NBA to begin the current season.
Malcolm Brogdon Believes Celtics Were Too Relaxed
Following the loss, Malcolm Brogdon voiced his concern over his team’s relaxation heading into their contest with Oklahoma, noting that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence may have played a part in their lackluster approach to the game.
“We took a deep breath and relaxed. Honestly, we should know better than to come out and not play with aggression, not play with energy and urgency,” Brogdon said.
Brogdon, 30, has been struggling in recent weeks and at times, looked like he was forcing the issue against the Thunder. In fact, over his last six games, Brogdon is averaging just 10 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 36% shooting from the field and 30% shooting from deep. Of course, those numbers are solid, but their shooting percentages are certainly a cause for concern, especially for a player who was acquired to help give the second unit a significant punch on offense.
The Celtics will now be hoping that they can turn their fortunes around when they face the Dallas Mavericks on January 5, as they continue to search for their first victory of the new calendar year.