The Celtics defense has had their struggles this season and a lot of it comes down to their rebounding and fouling. Sunday’s 123-114 loss to the Pacers showed us this again as Indiana had 11 offensive rebounds and shot 27 free throws.
Let’s start with the rebounding. 11 offensive rebounds and 12 second chance points does not seem like a ton but it was the timing of these rebounds that created problems for the Celtics.
Every time, they were starting to get back into the game with a run and they’d get a big stop, Indiana, led by T.J. McConnell and Thomas Bryant, would steal an offensive rebound.
The Celtics had fought their way to get the Pacers lead back to 6 and forced a miss on a Tyrese Haliburton three. McConnell, who is standing out of bounds, steps back into play and nabs the offensive rebound because no one boxes him out.
This clip doesn’t show it but the Celtics fouled Haliburton later on during this possession. Since the Pacers were in the bonus, he got two free throws. A really bad defensive possession for Boston.
This is just bad on Tatum. Thomas Bryant, acquired by Indiana on December 15th in a trade with Miami, just pushes by Tatum to grab the rebound and lay in an easy two.
This can’t happen. How no one is boxing out the guy standing right at the restricted area circle? He just gets an easy layup because of it.
atum also committed a really bad foul at the end of the third quarter.
First, Walsh smoking this bunny is very annoying but what is JT doing here? Fouling someone from the free throw line on the opposite side of the court when they are in the bonus is a really bad play. He is clearly frustrated but that does not excuse this foul.
McConnell would go 1-2 on the trip to the line.
Indiana shot 22 free throws in the game, including 6 on silly Celtics fouls at the end of the 3rd quarter. That is what has costed the Celtics games this season.
The Magic took 21 free throws in their 108-104 win over the Celtics last Monday, the Sixers took 19 in their 118-114 win over the Celtics last Wednesday.
The Celtics need to stop fouling because these are very winnable games that they are letting slip away because they are fouling too much.
The three pointers are going to produce big nights and then they won’t be able to fall against others, so the Celtics need to find other ways to win games. It is what made them so good last year and one of the best ways the Celtics can win some of these recent losses is to stop fouling and clean up the defensive glass.
