Joe Mazzulla hits Celtics with truth bomb after Christmas Day loss to 76ers

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics built their 2024 NBA title on consistency. But, the road to repeat as champions is always difficult and the C's have been plagued by inconsistencies this December, which was evident during a 118-114 loss on Christmas Day to the rival Philadelphia 76ers.

Following the Celtics' third defeat in four games, head coach Joe Mazzulla was open about his squad's ups and downs.

“Yeah, I mean, just didn't have great offensive rhythm, just didn't have great defensive execution,” he stated. “So listen, we're playing inconsistent basketball, so we gotta be better at both ends of the floor. Gotta be more consistent at both ends of the floor.”

The Green Team is now 22-8 on the season, putting them four games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite Wednesday's disappointment, Mazzulla isn't in panic mode.

“Last game, [the problem] was our offense because of our live-ball turnovers,” he recalled. “This game, it was the inconsistency in our effort. So I think in small samples we need to play harder. But if you look at the 30-game sample size, it's about where we're at. But yeah, definitely moments where we have to play harder.”

More from Joe Mazzulla on the Celtics’ inconsistencies and their recent lapses vs. their overall effort in the last 30 games: pic.twitter.com/710lGNsnmY

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) December 26, 2024

This time last season, the Celtics were 23-6 after Christmas and 24-6 through 30 games. The reigning champs aren't too far off from that impressive pace, yet there is some truth to their recent struggles.

What's happened in the Celtics' recent losses?

Last Thursday, the C's were upset at home by the mediocre Chicago Bulls. The Celtics had a healthy starting lineup, however, they still tied a franchise record for the most missed 3-pointers in a single game with 42 bricks from beyond the arc.

The Celtics held themselves to 25 misses from deep in Monday's loss to the Orlando Magic, but that wasn't their primary issue. In the second half of the 108-104 loss, Boston was outscored 65-46 and shot just under 36% from the field. Even worse, the Celtics had 11 turnovers and just four assists in that crucial span.

On Christmas, Boston's troubles had nothing to do with the 3-point line. In fact, the C's converted on 20 of their 49 attempts from the perimeter and drained three more 3-pointers than the Sixers. The Green Team's biggest snags were turnovers (13 to the 76ers' six) and a wavering defensive effort. Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who finished with a team-high 32 points, had no problem admitting that.

“We got to do a better job of taking ownership, of locking in on that side of the ball,” Tatum said of Boston's inconsistent defense. “I think we've let that slip a little bit these last few games, and that's on all of us. Individually, we got to be better. You know, it translates to us being better as a unit on defense. It's as simple as we just got to be better.”

Although the Celtics held the Sixers to just 16 points in the third quarter, their Eastern Conference foes posted 36 points in the last 12 minutes. Boston even cut Philly's lead down to two with 4.2 seconds remaining thanks to a tough 3-pointer from reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, yet its final push was too late. Sixers center Joel Embiid iced the game on the next possession with two free throws.

“We gotta look in the mirror and man up, and we just gotta be better,” Tatum emphasized. “We fully believe in ourselves and the things that we can do when we're fully locked in. And we've done it time and time again. We just had some lapses recently. We just gotta get back on track.”

Wednesday marked the first time the Celtics have lost back-to-back contests since April 11th. They haven't lost three games in a row for the entirety of 2024.

Nearly every time they've faltered during the 2024-25 season, they've had an answer. Tatum expects his guys to respond again, as the Celtics prepare for two consecutive home games against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and Sunday.

“Still a long season. Nobody's panicking. You just have to be able to navigate the emotional roller coaster of an NBA season. It feels a lot worse than it actually is,” he revealed. “Everybody is fully capable, and we've always done a really good job of responding. And I have no doubt that we will. So, not panicking. We got to be better, and we will.”