Celtics Struggles Overshadow Joe Mazzulla’s Optimism Amid Losing Skid

BOSTON — Despite interim head coach Joe Mazzulla complementing his team for cutting a 30-point deficit down to five in the second half of the Celtics’ 117-112 loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Boston Celtics’ lackluster performance was one of their most disappointing losses of the regular season and is a cause for concern, considering how it all went down Wednesday night at TD Garden.

For the Celtics, this was supposed to be an emphatic bounce-back. Reeling from losing to the Orlando Magic twice in two days before Monday’s practice at the Auerbach Center, fans expected to see an inspiring effort, especially with Jayson Tatum — who missed Sunday’s game against the Magic due to personal reasons — back into the fold.

An 18-0 Pacers run in the opening frame led to a 42-point first quarter, as Indiana out-hustled the Celtics for second-chance opportunities and capitalized off missed shots — which ignited the Pacers’ fast-break and easy buckets — all while draining a plethora of open threes. Looking back on what transpired before halftime and the Celtics’ overall picture overshadowed Joe’s optimism as the first-year coach continued highlighting the bright side of his team’s loss throughout his postgame availability.

The Pacers’ lead eventually ballooned to thirty points (71-31). The Celtics couldn’t stop the bleeding while Indiana clogged its opponents’ passing lanes, which forced Boston to cough up 11 turnovers in two quarters.

We haven’t seen this version of the Celtics in a long time, not to this extent, probably since 2021-22. Not even in their loss to the Chicago Bulls, who crushed Boston 120-102 back on October 24, did the Celtics look so out-worked.

Losers of five of their last six games, the Celtics are now 0-3 amid a seven-game home stand.

“Just didn’t play with a great sense of urgency,” Mazzulla said after Wednesday’s loss. “Didn’t play with awareness, and didn’t play with a sense for details.”

Led by Tatum (41 points), the Celtics tacked on 42 after the break but fell short of completing a comeback in the final frame, where the Pacers kept Boston at bay, and Tyrese Haliburton drained two 3-pointers in the last five minutes of the game. He finished with 33 points, including six threes and eight assists.

Since returning to TD Garden, slow starts are becoming a pattern for the Celtics, whose opponents are averaging 33.3 first-quarter points per game. For perspective, the San Antonio Spurs, who lead the league in first-quarter points allowed, are averaging 31.3 points this season, per Teamrankings.com.

The Pacers also shot 46.2% from the 3-point arc, making 18-of-39 attempts from deep. They also coerced the Celtics to commit 16 turnovers.

“I think it’s the first halves that we’ve had where we got outplayed from an effort standpoint,” Mazzulla said. “So, it’d be more concerning if we didn’t play a completely different style in the second half. We have a choice to make, which team do we want to be, the team that was the first half or the team that was the second half?”

The Celtics have to decide which team they’re going to be, is what he told his players at halftime, which according to Mazzulla, was posed as a question rather than a speech for his team. At times like these, he’s reminded of how good the Celtics have been this season — the best record in the NBA, a historically good offense (before December) — which is still a part of the team’s identity.

For this reason, Boston’s rookie head coach isn’t worried.

“I don’t get concerned,” Mazzulla said. “We are where we are, and you have to rely on who our guys are as people, and you have to rely on the process of what we’re trying to build.”

Chalking up a loss where the Celtics fell behind by 30 to the effects of a poor start to a game doesn’t reveal the underlying issue: Mazzulla is unsure of which team will show up on a nightly basis. Since stomping all over the Phoenix Suns 125-98 on December 7, which was quickly the Celtics’ most impressive win of the year, Boston has struggled to find consistency on offense.

Boston would be in the midst of a six-game losing streak if it weren’t for Tatum’s 44-point masterpiece in the Celtics’ 122-118 comeback win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We’ve got to learn how to win again,” Tatum said after Wednesday’s loss. “It’s not as simple as that, but we’ve got to get back to having fun. We’re playing a little timid, a little tight.”

Celtics players will have to look within themselves and grapple with the old habits of last year and this month. Mazzulla isn’t going to be the coach who forces his hand, holds players accountable, or changes his approach. Not Mr. Brightside.

It’s up to Tatum and company to right the ship, which could teeter into a full-blown losing streak if the Celtics aren’t careful.