The Boston Celtics lost 109-93 to the Houston Rockets on Monday night at Toyota Center. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak and dropped Boston to 5-2 on the season.
It was the second half of a back-to-back, and it looked like it. Paul George sat with rest. Jayson Tatum battled foul trouble. The offense never found a rhythm against Houston’s length and physicality.
The shooting numbers told the story. Boston went 12-for-42 from beyond the arc. The guards who typically carry the perimeter attack were nowhere close to their usual standard, and one night in particular stood out.
What Tatum Said Postgame
Payton Pritchard went 0-for-7 from the field. No points on no makes. For a player who has been one of the most reliable spark plugs off the bench this season, Monday was about as rough as it gets.
Tatum was asked about Pritchard’s night after the game. His response was immediate.
“Shake it off,” Tatum said.
Boston’s perimeter players combined to shoot 2-for-22 from deep. Tatum, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Pritchard all contributed to the drought. Pritchard’s night drew the most attention, but the problem ran across the entire backcourt. Tatum made that clear.
“All of us missed shots, wide open shots, layups, open threes. It wasn’t just P, all of us had tough shooting nights. It’s 82 games, bound to happen sometimes.”
JT Wanted More From the Group
Tatum addressed the broader issue of how the Celtics responded when the game tightened in the second half.
“Everybody got to play back-to-backs, we’re not the only team,” Tatum said. “Are they tough? Yeah. But a lot of us been doing this for a long time. There was moments where we cut it to 6 or 7 and couldn’t get a rebound and they hit a three. There’s moments like that where we’ve got to dig deeper a little bit.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla did not fault the shot selection. The looks were there. The makes were not.
“For the most part, I liked our shots,” Mazzulla said.
Final Word for the Celtics
The five-game streak is over. The shooting performance was the worst of the season by a significant margin, and the schedule did Boston no favors.
But Tatum’s response after the game matters more than the result. He refused to isolate Pritchard’s struggles when the entire backcourt went cold. He pointed at the whole group, himself included, and called for a collective response.
The Milwaukee Bucks come to TD Garden on Wednesday. The shooters will need to find their rhythm quickly.
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Sends 3-Word Message After Payton Pritchard’s Scoreless Night