Nobody Loves Puking On Themselves And Blowing 20+ Point Leads More Than The Boston Celtics

Brian Sevald. Getty Images.

WOOF.

Holy moly, was that bad. Call me crazy, but when a team builds a 22-point lead in the 2nd half, that should be a game they find a way to win. I don't ask for much, but holding on to 20+ point leads seems like the bare minimum. 

At the 8:07 mark of the 3rd quarter, the Celtics led the Pistons 72-50. From that moment on? Here's a live look at what they did

Giphy Images.

Giphy Images.

Giphy Images.

They completely puked on themselves in horrific fashion. A 71-41 close over the final 20 minutes of the game, this was yet another classic example of the Celtics fucking around and then finding out what happens when you fuck around. They got lazy on offense and couldn't make a shot, they were giving up bucket after bucket defensively, they were careless with the ball, and when you do all that what happens? The other team gets newfound life, the crowd gets into it and then momentum completely swings. 

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Even with a terrible 3rd quarter, the Celts still carried a 6 point lead into the 4th. All they had to do was just not puke on themselves any further, and what happened? Puke everywhere. An 18-0 run by the Pistons, 38/27% shooting as a team from the Celts, they gave up 35 points (immediately after giving up 37 in the 3rd), and everything we've seen this team do during these collapses in the past, we got tonight. Sorry, can't blame Jaylen Brown for this one unfortunately. I know that's what everyone loved to do last year when this stuff happened, but those days are over.

The main culprit? Unfortunately, it's the franchise guy. Jayson Tatum was about as bad as it gets in this debut. Even with his passing looking solid, overall it was a performance that I would deem nowhere close to good enough. 

To me it was more than just the inefficient shooting. I HATED how tentative he looked in the second half/4th quarter. Those are the moments when he as the #1 has to step up and end the runs. Ensure that, as bad as things had gotten, the team wouldn't fully let go of the rope. Instead, we got the opposite. I think it goes without saying he's going to have to be MUCH better, and he will. But this? This was gross and nowhere close to the standard that he needs to meet. 

This was also an example of what happens when one of the Celts' biggest strengths is neutralized. All three centers were pretty poor in their minutes, and the offensive rebounding was a complete non-factor, and their work on the defensive glass was even worse. It was the Pistons who feasted on the offensive glass (14 OREB, 24 2nd chance points), and this is the risk with the Celts approach. When you turn it over and don't hit the offensive glass, you're possession-maxxing strategy doesn't work. Instead, the Pistons forced the Celts to beat them in the halfcourt, and lets just say that didn't look all that great either.

And let's not think Joe is off the hook either. Payton Pritchard under 30 minutes…bad! Hugo Gonzalez only 10 minutes….bad! Sam Hauser 18 minutes despite not being able to defend a 3pt shooter without fouling….bad! No sets to help Tatum or the offense to get easier looks in the 4th…..bad! This was basically the same blueprint of every time the Celts seem to have a collapse like this. The star stinks, the role players make dumb mistakes, and Joe fumbles. You add all that up and you get a disgusting 22 point blown lead loss to open your season.

The worst part? Paul George looked INCREDIBLE

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This might literally be the best he plays all season…..and they just wasted it. That, is very very annoying.

We'll comb over the dead body in more detail tomorrow after I have more time to digest what I just witnessed. But my early verdict?

Giphy Images.