With two games left in the regular season and having sealed homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, the Boston Celtics don’t have a whole lot of incentive before the postseason. It was evident against the New York Knicks on Thursday, April 11.
With all five starters in the lineup, the Celtics got off to a lackluster start in an ugly 118-109 loss. Boston was outscored 37-19 in the second quarter and trailed 69-48 at halftime. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said he wasn’t happy with the first-half effort, but he also said his team is in a tough spot ahead of the postseason.
Joe Mazzulla Understands the Celtics’ Predicament
Joe Mazzulla gets candid about the Celtics’ effort level in first half vs. Knicks
So what should the Celtics do with two home games left on their schedule? Rest their stars or keep playing to avoid getting rusty? It’s a tough position to be in, but the loss against the Knicks was somewhat puzzling.
Mazzulla elected to play all his starters against the Knicks, but it was clear they lacked motivation. Mazzulla addressed that situation after the game.
“I did not like the effort level in the first half,” Mazzulla told reporters after the game. “I think it’s just a tough spot to be in, and I thought our guys have handled that as best as they could. In our last two games, we ran into two teams that are highly, highly desperate.
“As much as we want to simulate that, that’s not the position that we’re in.”
They’re not in a position to match effort with their opponent? The Celtics are the best team in the NBA, and they’ve shown it this year, but they’ve won nothing. They’re good, but they’re not good enough to turn it on whenever they want. Celtics fans remember all too well Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals at home against the Miami Heat. Boston entered as a 9-point favorite and was embarrassed at home, losing 103-84.
What’s the point of playing the starters if they’re not giving effort? For the playoffs, the Celtics need to go all out, and they practiced bad habits against the Knicks.
Mazzulla Is OK With the Loss to the Knicks
Outside of playing without effort, losing any of these games down the stretch isn’t alarming. The only drama for the Celtics is who finding out they’ll face in the opening round of the playoffs.
Mazzulla said he’s unbothered by the loss, the second straight after falling to the Bucks.
“I actually don’t mind the result of the last two games because I think it’s important,” Mazzulla said. “Going in with a bunch of wins and feeling good about yourself isn’t any better than having a little bit of a bloody lip because of a game.”
Mazzulla is right about that, and he’s right about the Celtics being in a tough spot. The Milwaukee Bucks saw their star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, go down with a scary calf injury in an April 9 game against the Celtics. It’s a fine line between rest and rust for Boston.
Mazzulla believes for the most part his team has handled things well, except early on against the Knicks.
“They’ve done the best they could over the course of this stretch, however long it’s been, a week and a half,” he said. “I didn’t like it in the first half.”
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Joe Mazzulla’s Explanation of Effort Shouldn’t Sit Well With Celtics Fans