Lakers (24-25) at Celtics (37-11) Game #49 2/1/24

[ozgod]

I want to be clear, it was a terrible loss and even worse given the circumstances. Lot of guys sucked.

But if you're going from "they are winning the Finals" to "they aren't anymore" because of one single regular season game, then I'm sorry I just can't take you seriously. It's the middle of the season and close to the All-Star break. Even the great teams in history have a game or two like this during the season and sometimes sleepwalk a few games. The C's have still mostly taken care of business and have the best record in the NBA and a 5-game lead for the 1 seed in the East.

Obviously if they have another bad week with a few blowout losses mixed in, I'll become concerned. Not now though. Yes, some of the things we've seen the last week are similar to what we've seen in recent years, BUT this is a new team and the playoffs are still a few months away. The playoffs are where this team will truly be judged but even if we had won yesterday, we'd say the same thing.

If you suddenly think they aren't a Finals-caliber team just because of one single week, then you never really believed in them to begin with. They are on pace for 60+ wins. 60 wins still means 22 losses during the regular season, and guys sit out some games too. They won't be perfect every game. The 2008 team finished 66-16, which again, that's 16 losses they had and I remember a few of them being  ugly too.

I just think these guys aren't winners. They lack that killer instinct that separates the Jordans from the Durants. The Bradys from the Philip Rivers's.

It's hard to win without that gene.

It's probably more like Joe Montana vs Jim Kelly...because they've been to the playoffs multiple times, been to the ECF multiple times, they just haven't gotten over that hump.

That said, I think we might be placing too much credence on a regular season loss to a team of no hopers that just happen to be our historical hated foes. As @Kernewek mentioned above, losing sucks and whenever we lose everyone's in a bad mood and all the doubts come out, which is why (as @liam said) threads after losses are twice as long as after wins. The forum is never busier than after losses, even more so this year that we just haven't had that many losses to be able to complain about the things we're unhappy about. There's definitely things to complain about - continued reliance on the 3s going in the hoop, inability to adapt when the ball (usually 3s) isn't going through the hoop, the prevalence of their sets that try to create open 3 point shots at the expense of 2 point shots, turning the ball over.

But to me the biggest thing that differentiates the Jays and this team from other championship teams and players (like Jordan, Kobe, KG, etc) is that those guys wanted to win ALL THE TIME. Even in some meaningless game against some no hopers from the G-league, you never felt that they took nights off. I'm sure they did but the perception is they were locked in, every single night, all 82 games of the regular season and every single game of the playoffs, for years in a row. THEY NEVER TOOK NIGHTS OFF. Conversely, these guys take nights off, there are times when it feels like they're just going thru the motions, and (maybe this is just their personalities are more passive) but you don't feel they feel the anger from fans at their performances, and that makes us angrier at them.

I think as fans we can accept losing (some of us anyway), especially if it's too a good team (though from the reactions to the Denver game there are some that can't accept that either), but most of us don't want to lose to a bad team, and we ESPECIALLY don't want to lose to a historical rival who is currently one of the also-rans in the West who were missing their top two players, and we REALLY REALLY don't want to lose where it looks like the team didn't give a stuff and didn't put the effort in and basically mailed it in and even when they lost they still probably don't care because it's the middle of the season, near the All-Star break, it's to a team that's probably going to struggle to even make the playoffs and are no threat to them and if they took a night off and lost well so what? So they suffered a humiliating loss, in the overall scheme of things it probably doesn't matter, after the next game is won and the fans are happy again. That's how they probably feel. They still feel like they have a great chance at the championship even after this loss.

And so do I...I'm less upset about their chances, I still think we have as good a chance as the other contenders at bringing home the banner. But I never thought they would go 82-0, I don't think they're anywhere near as good as they think they are, and I just don't think the Jays are the types of players that have that Jordan gene where they just can't bear to lose even in meaningless games. I think when the games are meaningful they will be switched on and there won't be the lack of effort issue we saw last night, but they're just the types of players that will take mental time off during the season and suffer these types of losses. And yes it's disappointing but I think that's who they are. That's the drive that I think they don't have - the drive to win every game, to bury the opposition. I fear we will see more of these types of "switched off" losses as we head to the playoffs because these guys just get bored I think.

[ozgod]

In the locker room, KP didn't seem that worried. He thinks that we're thinking the world has ended when it hasn't.

Inside the locker room, the players weren’t overreacting to this loss, either. Porzingis put it in some perspective.

“This is the NBA. This is almost like a script,” Porzingis said. “You’re going to lose this type of game and fans are going to think it’s the end of the world, and we lost to the Lakers without AD and LeBron, like, end of the season. Boom. Done. But it’s just a loss. It’s just a loss which we have to learn from. And which we will. We’re going to get a couple days rest which I think a lot of guys especially will be really useful for and we bounce back hungry and full energy.”

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/02/01/celtics-hear-boos-in-ugly-inexcusable-loss-to-undermanned-lakers/

Should we boo him for his losing mentality and weak mental strength next game?? How dare he belittle our feelings by suggesting the world isn't ending? Unbefitting a Celtic! If that was KG he'd be attacking random people in the street, he'd be so mad 

[Silas]

In the locker room, KP didn't seem that worried. He thinks that we're thinking the world has ended when it hasn't.

Inside the locker room, the players weren’t overreacting to this loss, either. Porzingis put it in some perspective.

“This is the NBA. This is almost like a script,” Porzingis said. “You’re going to lose this type of game and fans are going to think it’s the end of the world, and we lost to the Lakers without AD and LeBron, like, end of the season. Boom. Done. But it’s just a loss. It’s just a loss which we have to learn from. And which we will. We’re going to get a couple days rest which I think a lot of guys especially will be really useful for and we bounce back hungry and full energy.”

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/02/01/celtics-hear-boos-in-ugly-inexcusable-loss-to-undermanned-lakers/

Should we boo him for his losing mentality and weak mental strength next game?? How dare he belittle our feelings by suggesting the world isn't ending? Unbefitting a Celtic! If that was KG he'd be attacking random people in the street, he'd be so mad 

I've said this before, but this conversation reminds me of the the REM song....
It's the end of the world as we know it
and I feel fine.

[Vermont Green]

In the locker room, KP didn't seem that worried. He thinks that we're thinking the world has ended when it hasn't.

Inside the locker room, the players weren’t overreacting to this loss, either. Porzingis put it in some perspective.

“This is the NBA. This is almost like a script,” Porzingis said. “You’re going to lose this type of game and fans are going to think it’s the end of the world, and we lost to the Lakers without AD and LeBron, like, end of the season. Boom. Done. But it’s just a loss. It’s just a loss which we have to learn from. And which we will. We’re going to get a couple days rest which I think a lot of guys especially will be really useful for and we bounce back hungry and full energy.”

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/02/01/celtics-hear-boos-in-ugly-inexcusable-loss-to-undermanned-lakers/

Should we boo him for his losing mentality and weak mental strength next game?? How dare he belittle our feelings by suggesting the world isn't ending? Unbefitting a Celtic! If that was KG he'd be attacking random people in the street, he'd be so mad 

I've said this before, but this conversation reminds me of the the REM song....
It's the end of the world as we know it
and I feel fine.

It is true that all good teams, even great teams, lose games and look bad sometimes.  The great teams and great players though, seem to feel the loss more than others.  Losing like that should feel bad and it should be a feeling you don't want to feel again.  It should be part of the hardening process for a player and a team.

Porzingis said that the team is going to "bounce back hungry and full of energy".  This is what we hope will happen.  That because of this bad loss, the team comes back hungry, maybe even a little bit angry, more focused.  The great teams, great players, seem to have the ability to summon that hunger, that angry edge, when they need to.  That is what this team needs to learn how to do.  I still think they can, but they don't seem to have that yet.

[Surferdad]

In the locker room, KP didn't seem that worried. He thinks that we're thinking the world has ended when it hasn't.

Inside the locker room, the players weren’t overreacting to this loss, either. Porzingis put it in some perspective.

“This is the NBA. This is almost like a script,” Porzingis said. “You’re going to lose this type of game and fans are going to think it’s the end of the world, and we lost to the Lakers without AD and LeBron, like, end of the season. Boom. Done. But it’s just a loss. It’s just a loss which we have to learn from. And which we will. We’re going to get a couple days rest which I think a lot of guys especially will be really useful for and we bounce back hungry and full energy.”

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/02/01/celtics-hear-boos-in-ugly-inexcusable-loss-to-undermanned-lakers/

Should we boo him for his losing mentality and weak mental strength next game?? How dare he belittle our feelings by suggesting the world isn't ending? Unbefitting a Celtic! If that was KG he'd be attacking random people in the street, he'd be so mad 

I like KP a lot, but these are just words. If it's a close game with Memphis, I won't necessarily be convinced that it was "just a loss" to LAL. Something is wrong with this team. Now, if they come out and destroy the Griz, then I'll certainly be back in the bandwagon.

[Celtics2021]

In the locker room, KP didn't seem that worried. He thinks that we're thinking the world has ended when it hasn't.

Inside the locker room, the players weren’t overreacting to this loss, either. Porzingis put it in some perspective.

“This is the NBA. This is almost like a script,” Porzingis said. “You’re going to lose this type of game and fans are going to think it’s the end of the world, and we lost to the Lakers without AD and LeBron, like, end of the season. Boom. Done. But it’s just a loss. It’s just a loss which we have to learn from. And which we will. We’re going to get a couple days rest which I think a lot of guys especially will be really useful for and we bounce back hungry and full energy.”

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/02/01/celtics-hear-boos-in-ugly-inexcusable-loss-to-undermanned-lakers/

Should we boo him for his losing mentality and weak mental strength next game?? How dare he belittle our feelings by suggesting the world isn't ending? Unbefitting a Celtic! If that was KG he'd be attacking random people in the street, he'd be so mad 

I've said this before, but this conversation reminds me of the the REM song....
It's the end of the world as we know it
and I feel fine.

It is true that all good teams, even great teams, lose games and look bad sometimes.  The great teams and great players though, seem to feel the loss more than others.  Losing like that should feel bad and it should be a feeling you don't want to feel again.  It should be part of the hardening process for a player and a team.

Porzingis said that the team is going to "bounce back hungry and full of energy".  This is what we hope will happen.  That because of this bad loss, the team comes back hungry, maybe even a little bit angry, more focused.  The great teams, great players, seem to have the ability to summon that hunger, that angry edge, when they need to.  That is what this team needs to learn how to do.  I still think they can.

I think this team has repeatedly shown that they bounce back from bad losses like this.  They’ve only lost consecutive games once this season, back in November with their first two losses.  Their record after a loss is 10-1, with a point differential of +13.2 — in other words, the rare times they’ve lost on average they’ve subsequently played better than their already high baseline.  And that’s even more true recently after some of their recent tough losses (@Golden State in OT, @OKC, the disaster @Milwaukee) when they obliterated their opponents by 25 (@SAC), 29 (vs. Utah, who was beating everyone at the time) and 32 (vs. Houston).

Memphis is going to get pounded on Sunday.

[footey]

Finally finished watching this game (walked away in disgust at half time on Thursday LOL).

The first quarter turnovers showed complete lack of focus and laziness.

Reeves and Hayes were the biggest killers.  Reeves had an amazing game, give him credit.  And Hayes absolutely controlled the offensive glass. I was surprised the Lakers had only one more offensive rebound than Boston.  It seemed like a much bigger discrepancy. 

The Lakers without LBJ or AD are actually considerably younger and more athletic than Boston.  They made us look a little slow and old that night.

This was a perfect storm. Boston playing uninspired, somewhat entitled, facing a team that was loose, unburdened by expectations, playing freely and confidently.  Just goes to show you how deep the NBA is in terms of talent.  Give the Lakers credit, they played a very good game. 

Being a fan of an NBA team, even one as successful as the Celtics, is not for the feint of heart.  It is stressful, full of disappointments. 

Until the next game!! Go Celtics!! (definition of insanity)

[SHAQATTACK]

I’m still sulking

[ozgod]

So people were mad that they didn't seem to take accountability for their ineptitude. Is this accountability or just words?

“I’m very frustrated. Tonight was a rough night. We take full responsibility for it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It started with that first group, we weren’t very good tonight. We came out lackadaisical, and this is the NBA, you come out with that mentality and you lose and that’s what we did. We lost.”

“We don’t sugarcoat it. We can all come out and say we’re excited, but this is not a good spot to be in,” Brown said. “We don’t wanna deal with bad habits. We wanna play the game the right way. We wanna guard, defend, respect our opponents and that stuff you gotta do on a night-in and night-out basis. We didn’t do that tonight from top to bottom. As a leader on this team, I take responsibility for it, but we gotta do better.”

Now there are two days off, a game against a flailing Memphis team, then another two days off. This is a moment of reflection. A hard reset in the middle of what so far has been a dream season.

“To think we’re not going to go through difficult times during an 82-game NBA season is not the right way to look at it,” Mazzulla said. “So am I p---ed about losing? Yes. But am I ecstatic about the opportunity for us to grow as a team? I’m even happier about that.”

https://theathletic.com/5246286/2024/02/02/lebron-james-anthony-davis-celtics-lakers/

If we don't think this is taking accountability, what form would we want to see the accountability taking? (Other than winning the next game as that's a given.)

[SparzWizard]

So people were mad that they didn't seem to take accountability for their ineptitude. Is this accountability or just words?

“I’m very frustrated. Tonight was a rough night. We take full responsibility for it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It started with that first group, we weren’t very good tonight. We came out lackadaisical, and this is the NBA, you come out with that mentality and you lose and that’s what we did. We lost.”

“We don’t sugarcoat it. We can all come out and say we’re excited, but this is not a good spot to be in,” Brown said. “We don’t wanna deal with bad habits. We wanna play the game the right way. We wanna guard, defend, respect our opponents and that stuff you gotta do on a night-in and night-out basis. We didn’t do that tonight from top to bottom. As a leader on this team, I take responsibility for it, but we gotta do better.”

Now there are two days off, a game against a flailing Memphis team, then another two days off. This is a moment of reflection. A hard reset in the middle of what so far has been a dream season.

“To think we’re not going to go through difficult times during an 82-game NBA season is not the right way to look at it,” Mazzulla said. “So am I p---ed about losing? Yes. But am I ecstatic about the opportunity for us to grow as a team? I’m even happier about that.”

https://theathletic.com/5246286/2024/02/02/lebron-james-anthony-davis-celtics-lakers/

If we don't think this is taking accountability, what form would we want to see the accountability taking? (Other than winning the next game as that's a given.)

If the C's lose next game against the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies at the TD Garden, then somebody needs to be fired and a Jay needs to be traded. And the crowd should boo this.

[byennie]

So people were mad that they didn't seem to take accountability for their ineptitude. Is this accountability or just words?

“I’m very frustrated. Tonight was a rough night. We take full responsibility for it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It started with that first group, we weren’t very good tonight. We came out lackadaisical, and this is the NBA, you come out with that mentality and you lose and that’s what we did. We lost.”

“We don’t sugarcoat it. We can all come out and say we’re excited, but this is not a good spot to be in,” Brown said. “We don’t wanna deal with bad habits. We wanna play the game the right way. We wanna guard, defend, respect our opponents and that stuff you gotta do on a night-in and night-out basis. We didn’t do that tonight from top to bottom. As a leader on this team, I take responsibility for it, but we gotta do better.”

Now there are two days off, a game against a flailing Memphis team, then another two days off. This is a moment of reflection. A hard reset in the middle of what so far has been a dream season.

“To think we’re not going to go through difficult times during an 82-game NBA season is not the right way to look at it,” Mazzulla said. “So am I p---ed about losing? Yes. But am I ecstatic about the opportunity for us to grow as a team? I’m even happier about that.”

https://theathletic.com/5246286/2024/02/02/lebron-james-anthony-davis-celtics-lakers/

If we don't think this is taking accountability, what form would we want to see the accountability taking? (Other than winning the next game as that's a given.)

I think the issue is that it comes off as "saying the right thing", which anyone can do. Did Jaylen and Joe say they are p---ed, or look actually p---ed? Does someone who's super p---ed need to say they are also "ecstatic"?

It's a league-wide trend: NBA basketball is more today about pacing yourself, studying analytics, protecting your brand, player empowerment, and less about cutthroat, blue-collar competition. It is what it is. In some ways, the game has evolved, but other things are being lost.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Are we sure that was actually Jaylen Brown...or was it his impersonator?

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

So people were mad that they didn't seem to take accountability for their ineptitude. Is this accountability or just words?

“I’m very frustrated. Tonight was a rough night. We take full responsibility for it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It started with that first group, we weren’t very good tonight. We came out lackadaisical, and this is the NBA, you come out with that mentality and you lose and that’s what we did. We lost.”

“We don’t sugarcoat it. We can all come out and say we’re excited, but this is not a good spot to be in,” Brown said. “We don’t wanna deal with bad habits. We wanna play the game the right way. We wanna guard, defend, respect our opponents and that stuff you gotta do on a night-in and night-out basis. We didn’t do that tonight from top to bottom. As a leader on this team, I take responsibility for it, but we gotta do better.”

Now there are two days off, a game against a flailing Memphis team, then another two days off. This is a moment of reflection. A hard reset in the middle of what so far has been a dream season.

“To think we’re not going to go through difficult times during an 82-game NBA season is not the right way to look at it,” Mazzulla said. “So am I p---ed about losing? Yes. But am I ecstatic about the opportunity for us to grow as a team? I’m even happier about that.”

https://theathletic.com/5246286/2024/02/02/lebron-james-anthony-davis-celtics-lakers/

If we don't think this is taking accountability, what form would we want to see the accountability taking? (Other than winning the next game as that's a given.)

I think the issue is that it comes off as "saying the right thing", which anyone can do. Did Jaylen and Joe say they are p---ed, or look actually p---ed? Does someone who's super p---ed need to say they are also "ecstatic"?

It's a league-wide trend: NBA basketball is more today about pacing yourself, studying analytics, protecting your brand, player empowerment, and less about cutthroat, blue-collar competition. It is what it is. In some ways, the game has evolved, but other things are being lost.

As I’ve said before, not all progress is progress.

[ozgod]

So people were mad that they didn't seem to take accountability for their ineptitude. Is this accountability or just words?

“I’m very frustrated. Tonight was a rough night. We take full responsibility for it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It started with that first group, we weren’t very good tonight. We came out lackadaisical, and this is the NBA, you come out with that mentality and you lose and that’s what we did. We lost.”

“We don’t sugarcoat it. We can all come out and say we’re excited, but this is not a good spot to be in,” Brown said. “We don’t wanna deal with bad habits. We wanna play the game the right way. We wanna guard, defend, respect our opponents and that stuff you gotta do on a night-in and night-out basis. We didn’t do that tonight from top to bottom. As a leader on this team, I take responsibility for it, but we gotta do better.”

Now there are two days off, a game against a flailing Memphis team, then another two days off. This is a moment of reflection. A hard reset in the middle of what so far has been a dream season.

“To think we’re not going to go through difficult times during an 82-game NBA season is not the right way to look at it,” Mazzulla said. “So am I p---ed about losing? Yes. But am I ecstatic about the opportunity for us to grow as a team? I’m even happier about that.”

https://theathletic.com/5246286/2024/02/02/lebron-james-anthony-davis-celtics-lakers/

If we don't think this is taking accountability, what form would we want to see the accountability taking? (Other than winning the next game as that's a given.)

If the C's lose next game against the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies at the TD Garden, then somebody needs to be fired and a Jay needs to be traded. And the crowd should boo this.

And who would we get back for trading one of the Jays?

[angryguy77]

So people were mad that they didn't seem to take accountability for their ineptitude. Is this accountability or just words?

“I’m very frustrated. Tonight was a rough night. We take full responsibility for it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It started with that first group, we weren’t very good tonight. We came out lackadaisical, and this is the NBA, you come out with that mentality and you lose and that’s what we did. We lost.”

“We don’t sugarcoat it. We can all come out and say we’re excited, but this is not a good spot to be in,” Brown said. “We don’t wanna deal with bad habits. We wanna play the game the right way. We wanna guard, defend, respect our opponents and that stuff you gotta do on a night-in and night-out basis. We didn’t do that tonight from top to bottom. As a leader on this team, I take responsibility for it, but we gotta do better.”

Now there are two days off, a game against a flailing Memphis team, then another two days off. This is a moment of reflection. A hard reset in the middle of what so far has been a dream season.

“To think we’re not going to go through difficult times during an 82-game NBA season is not the right way to look at it,” Mazzulla said. “So am I p---ed about losing? Yes. But am I ecstatic about the opportunity for us to grow as a team? I’m even happier about that.”

https://theathletic.com/5246286/2024/02/02/lebron-james-anthony-davis-celtics-lakers/

If we don't think this is taking accountability, what form would we want to see the accountability taking? (Other than winning the next game as that's a given.)

I think the issue is that it comes off as "saying the right thing", which anyone can do. Did Jaylen and Joe say they are p---ed, or look actually p---ed? Does someone who's super p---ed need to say they are also "ecstatic"?

It's a league-wide trend: NBA basketball is more today about pacing yourself, studying analytics, protecting your brand, player empowerment, and less about cutthroat, blue-collar competition. It is what it is. In some ways, the game has evolved, but other things are being lost.

I honestly think losing doesn't bother most of these guys and I think is speaks to a larger problem in our culture.

"Games don't matter" is such a bad mindset to be in. It tells  me you think you're good enough already and you can just turn it on whenever.  It doesn't work. The most perplexing thing to me is JT idolized Kobe yet is so opposite him in mental fortitude.  Usually people try to mimic their idol, not do the opposite.  I love JT, but man I wish he was more demanding of his teammates.