Did the Celtics finally flip the switch?

At halftime, the Celtics flipped a swap. After falling behind the Pacers by as many as 30 factors within the first half, Boston outscored Indiana 69-46, however finally fell quick 117-112 to fall 0-3 on their residence stand and 1-5 general.

However a minimum of the Celtics flipped a swap.

“I’m probably not involved within the sense that it was the primary half that we actually received outplayed from an effort standpoint,” head coach Joe Mazzulla stated of his group’s poor begin Wednesday night time. “It could be regarding if we didn’t play a very completely different model within the second half. We simply have a option to make: what group will we wish to be?”

For many followers, the expectation was that after the group returned to TD Backyard after a disappointing near the California portion of their 4-2 street journey, some residence cooking would get them out of their capturing hunch and restore what was as soon as a historic offense. Their protection was already bettering and nearing the championship degree commonplace they set final season. If Mazzulla might pair the 2 and seamlessly reintroduce Robert Williams again into the fray, the Celtics can be that group once more that started off the season 21-5.

That hasn’t occurred. After dropping two straight to the Magic and final night time’s close-but-no-cigar comeback versus the Pacers, Boston isn’t just a group mired in missed photographs and poor execution, however one additionally questioning their effort and focus towards groups that they need to be banking wins towards. However once more, seemingly, they flipped a swap.

For all of the handwringing over low power, lack of physicality, and a shedding streak, for all of the boos that rained down from the rafters when the Celtics had been piling up turnovers and lacking every little thing across the rim, the group isn’t nervous. As Malcolm Brogdon put it after his former group manhandled the Celtics within the first half, it’s more disappointment than concern.

There’s actually a herky jerkiness to how they’ve been enjoying. The free-flowing, free-of-concern frame of mind, freewheeling model that fueled the nine-game profitable streak has been changed by a twitchy, disjointed shadow of a group. Perhaps it’s a insecurity. Perhaps it’s the burden of expectation after such a powerful begin. Perhaps it’s that disappointment that Brogdon is speaking about compounded with each loss.

“We gotta get again to having enjoyable. We’re enjoying a bit timid, a bit tight,” Jayson Tatum said after a one game absence on Sunday. “Basketball is meant to be enjoyable. It’s purported to be unfastened. I get a way that we wish to make each shot, myself included. Our physique language once we miss photographs and stuff like that, it’s contagious.”

So is profitable and there’s proof of idea in what President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has constructed. They had been by no means going to be as on fireplace as they had been in October and November from behind the arc, however they’re nonetheless a group of above common shooters that may all drive-and-kick off the dribble and create for others. The protection has gone from a 114.5 defensive ranking in October to 111.6 in November to 106.9 factors per 100 possessions this month. The breadth of your complete common season nonetheless has Boston second in offense (116.5), now seventh in protection (110.6), and second in internet ranking (5.9) behind the Cavaliers (6.5).

“We’re the place we’re. It’s a must to depend on who our guys are as folks and you need to depend on the method of what we’re attempting to construct. I’d be extra involved if it was two halves, but it surely was one,” Mazzulla stated.

Final night time particularly, after the Celtics hit simply 3-of-15 from behind the arc, Jayson Tatum took it upon himself to persistently assault the paint and get to the road; he shot 13 free throws on the night time, his fourth highest whole of the yr. Boston grabbed 25 offensive rebounds — Robert Williams had seven alone — and transformed them into 32 second likelihood factors. And sure, the capturing got here again to kind. Al Horford and Sam Hauser hit a pair of threes, Brown and Tatum hit some within the clutch, and the group completed 10-of-26 from 3 after halftime. It was twenty-four minutes that reminded everyone what this group is able to.

“I do know our guys as folks and I do know they’re character. We’re going by a bit little bit of a tough stage. That’s a part of the NBA,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s additionally onerous the best way we performed firstly of the yr; whenever you set such a excessive commonplace, it’s onerous to play to that on a regular basis. We now have to learn to make that commonplace a behavior.”

The Celtics has 4 extra video games remaining on this homestand, together with the Christmas Day sport and their first towards the Milwaukee Bucks and a rematch towards Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and the LA Clippers with revenge in thoughts. We’ll simply must see if the swap stays flipped.