Jrue Holiday shares a candid assessment on Celtics’ blowout loss to Clippers.
Boston — The Celtics endured one of their worst losses of the season Saturday night, falling 115-96 to the Clippers. No Boston starter appeared in the fourth quarter as the Clippers built a 31-point lead after three quarters, putting on a clinic against an overmatched Boston club, notably in the third quarter during a 21-0 Clippers run.
While it was only Boston’s second home loss of the season at TD Garden, the blowout left an impression on Jrue Holiday.
“A good old-fashioned a**-whooping,” Holiday stated following the defeat. “It’s humbling, I believe, to be able to come home and get your butt kicked. But we know it will be a lengthy season. We know we can learn from this and keep it in our back pocket. It will always be in the back of our minds when we have a fantastic game the night before.”
Holiday was one of several Celtics starters who struggled offensively in the game, scoring only seven points on 2-of-11 shooting in 27 minutes and sitting out the whole fourth quarter. Boston’s starting five shot a combined 13-of-55 from the field, putting the team in a hole that they couldn’t get out of in the second half. According to the veteran, such missed opportunities could have resulted in defensive breakdowns.
“After some of those shots, I don’t think it’s about effort,” Holiday stated. “I believe we went out there and tried to rebound, particularly offensive rebounds. But I believe they capitalized on a number of transition occasions and leak-outs where we may not have been concentrating on getting back defensively. They did an excellent job playing. Hats off to them!”
The loss came on the heels of Boston’s most stunning offensive triumph of the season in Miami, giving Joe Mazzulla some vital perspective as the team strives to maintain consistency during a seven-game homestand.
Mazzulla stated, “You’re never as good or bad as you think you are.” “I think it’s vital. We always talk about difficulty, and it is always seen as something bad happening to you. But, in my opinion, one of the most difficult tasks is to win consistently and handle victory. Being able to manage success is equally difficult as dealing with loss. So I think whatsoever, you just focus on your team’s character, and our players will bounce back.
