Celtics vs. Jazz takeaways: C’s lose late, drop to third in 118-117 loss
The Celtics fell to third place in the East after losing the lead in a late defeat to the Jazz appeared in the original NBC Sports Boston
the Boston Celtics It should have left Utah with its third straight road trip victory, but the Jazz rallied late in the fourth quarter and the C’s lost 118-117.
The Celtics led by 19 points at halftime, and they also took a 117-113 lead with 1:19 left in the game. But the Celtics couldn’t hold on, and they are now in third place in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics Milwaukee Bucks And Philadelphia Seventy Sixers.
Jaylen Brown ahead of the Celtics by 25 points Laurie Markkanen Jazz footsteps with 28.
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The Celtics’ wild ride resumes Tuesday night against the Kings in Sacramento. The Kings are the second-place team in the Western Conference and have won eight of their last 10 games.
But before we look forward to that matchup, here are three notes from the Celtics-Jazz.
1) The Celtics are ranked
Celtics clinch a playoff Saturday night as a result Miami HeatChicago Bulls loss. However, the Celtics’ loss to the Jazz, along with the 76ers’ win over the Indiana Pacers Earlier in the day, Boston dropped to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
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Milwaukee Bucks: 50-20
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Philadelphia 76ers: 48-22, 2GB
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Boston Celtics: 49-23, 2GB
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Cleveland Cavaliers: 45-28, 6.5 Gb
The Celtics were alone in first place just a few weeks ago, but they’ve lost six of their last 11 games. Four of those six losses were decided by four points or fewer.
Boston is now in a tough battle for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs. How important is the number. 2 seeds? Acquiring it will ensure the Celtics homecourt advantage in at least the first two rounds of the postseason. no. 3 seeds guarantee a home yard in just the first round.
The Celtics are a tough team to beat at TD Garden, as they have the second best home record in the league at 26-9. The C team finished the 2021-22 season strong and were ranked #1. the second seed, which gave them home court advantage in the first two rounds. They eliminated the Bucks in the second round with a Game 7 victory at Garden. The series could have gone differently if that Game 7 had been in Milwaukee.
Fortunately for the Celtics, the Sixers have them The hardest remaining table Based on the opponent’s winning percentage. Philly still has games left against quality teams like the Bucks, Celtics, and Denver NuggetsThe Miami Heat Phoenix Suns. But the last 10 games will not be easy for the Celtics. They have the ninth toughest remaining schedule, including four road games and two straight.
Health should be a number. The Celtics’ first priority for the rest of the regular season, but they still need to try and finish before the 76ers in first place. 2 stubs.
2) The offensive glass is dominated by jazz
One area where the Jazz really hurt the Celtics was the attacking glass. Utah had a 17-5 advantage in offensive rebounds and scored 20 second chance points as a result. Walker Kessler He grabbed eight offensive rebounds himself.
The Celtics lost two of the best rebounding players in the game Robert Williams III And Alhorford, but the Celtics had to be ready for that kind of effort from Jazz on the boards. Utah entered this game ranked no. 4 in the league in second chance points per match and number. 5 offensive rebounds per game. The offensive glass has been a big part of the Jazz’s success this season, so the C’s should have known about that and boxed better than they did.
The Jazz won the rebounding battle 56-40 overall, and their starter outscored the Celtics in the standings 45-21.
Recovery is very important to winning games, and this is one area where the Celtics need to improve before the playoffs.
3) Grant Williams finds his groove
It’s no secret that March has been a difficult month for Williams. He came into Saturday averaging just 5.4 points and shooting 35.3 percent from the floor in seven games. In fact, he scored 16 points in his previous four games combined.
Williams returned to rhythm against the Jazz. Scored 23 points and shot 7 of 12 from 3-point range, along with four rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes.
Williams caught fire in the fourth quarter when he made three three-pointers in a span of 154 seconds to increase Boston’s lead to 108-101. He was stuffed into the rim in the final play of the game, but overall it was a positive performance for him.
The Celtics will need Williams to be an effective player in the playoffs. It’s hard to imagine Boston winning four innings en route to a championship if Williams wasn’t a consistent 3D kicker. His ability to extend the floor and hit 3-pointers at an average of 37 to 40%, as well as play good defense against wingers, make him an important part of the Celtics’ rotation.
Saturday night’s performance was a step in the right direction for Williams as he tried to regain his confidence and shooting touch ahead of the start of the first round of the playoffs.
