The Celtics have lost four straight since the All-Star break (which for everyone not named Kyrie or Jayson was a week vacation). They’ve also lost 6 of 8 since Rondo hit the Lakers game-winner on Jan 7. It seems that every game day I convince myself that this will be the game that they finally come together as a team and turn their dismal roster into the complete juggernaut that they were during their ECF run last spring.
After the loss to Chicago, I convinced myself that they were too distracted by Toronto coming up that they played like garbage to a 15-win team, but would turn it around when the bright national TV lights came on. After their blowout loss to Toronto, I convinced myself that they would turn it around against a hot Portland team given that they were just smoked on TNT the night before. Now, I am convincing myself that they’ll finally get their stuff together against the Wizards so that when the bright lights come on at the Toyota Center on Sunday, they won’t be caught napping (again).
Washington has been sneakily okay this year. The season started with an abysmal 8-14 start before December hit. Washington was surrounded by rumors about internal fighting and typical Wall/Beal trade rumors. Somehow, this team thought that they’d be contenders in the offseason with the acquisition of washed-up Dwight Howard, but that’s beside the point.
But Washington has turned it around. They’re only three games out of the 8 seed, and they’re not the dumpster fire I expected to see this season. They’ve had their struggles this season but still have either competed with or beaten teams like Indiana, Toronto, Sacramento, and Boston. They still have one of the best 2-guards in Bradley Beal and young pieces like Thomas Bryant and Jordan McRae. Washington may not give the same fight that they did a couple years ago in the playoffs, but they’re no Chicago.
When the C’s played Washington in mid-December, the same problems they have now were prevalent. They weren’t together, there were always postgame comments that made headlines, and I was similarly hoping that they’d turn a corner and sing Kumbaya. Well, as usual, they played down to their competition squeezing by Washington with a 5-point OT victory fueled by Irving (38p/7a) and Morris (27p/9r/2a).
If the Celtics want any part of Brooklyn (the current 6 seed in the East) instead of Philly (4 seed), they’d better get a move on before it’s too late. Losing 5 straight and 7 out of 9 going into Houston on Sunday and then GSW on Tuesday is not where I want to be.
As for me, I’ll be drowning myself in Jae Crowder and Kevin McHale fights until tipoff tonight.
ReJoyce 