There’s been a ton of talk about the Celtics being bad in the clutch. They’re now 4-8 in one-point games in the final minute this season (h/t Bobby Manning). Many have pointed to their offensive execution as the main reason for the lack of success. It’s fair, but it’s not the only reason why they lose a lot of these games.
They’re just as unreliable on the glass as they are on offense.
Boston holds the eighth-best defensive rebounding percentage in the NBA at 72.7% on the season. The problem is, any time that they’re in a tight game that number drops significantly. In situations where the score differential is three or less in the final minute, the Cs grab just 54.5% of the boards, which is the 19th-best in the league.
Thursday’s overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks could’ve been prevented had the Cs just grabbed a rebound up three with less than 15 seconds to play. Instead, Clint Capela found an open Bogdan Bogdanovic who sank the game-tying shot.
Closing out defensive possessions with a stop just over half of the time hasn’t been good enough in close games all year. We’ve seen the Celtics come up short a few times this season at least partly because they couldn’t grab a crucial rebound.
In the case that you’re looking to make yourself upset today, here are several instances where a Boston board would’ve been fantastic. Not all of them come in the final minute but are still at key parts of a game where the Cs could’ve used a stop.
Now, not all rebounds are created equal. Some of these were flukey. Weird bounces, airballs, and even lower stakes “hey, the game’s over already” moments can impact whether or not Boston gets the board.
However, there’s no question that a large chunk of these clips above directly impacted the Celtics’ chances of winning the said game. Even if there is some luck that goes into late-game rebounding, the 18% drop off in defensive-rebounding percentage in the final minute is a bit jarring.
Yes, Kristaps Porzingis can be better at securing these stops, but the team as a whole has to be better here. Porzingis is an excellent player, but everyone knows that one of his weaknesses is physicality. There are several instances in the above clips where the other Celtic players fail to box out their man and it leads to an extra chance for the opposition.
This is just another instance of their focus not always being at peak form as the seconds tick down.
When the playoffs roll around, the Cs’ ability to close out late-game possessions with a rebound could ultimately swing a series.
