Celtics Better but Not Great in Crunch Time this Season

Joe Mazzulla didn’t exit the last Celtics-Nuggets meeting discouraged. While Denver went small and switched everything, stashing Aaron Gordon and smalls successfully on Kristaps Porzingis and grinding out a two-point win, Boston had several opportunities to at least force overtime. Jayson Tatum pushed a full court sprint and narrowly missed a left-handed layup due to Nikola Jokic dislodging the ball on the move.

That, however, marked the sixth miss out of seven shots to begin crunch time, and while the Nuggets didn’t make a shot over the final 2:50, Mazzulla called off the final play with five seconds left and Tatum rushed an off-balance mid ranger down two at the buzzer in what finished as a 102-100 loss.

A similar scene played out on Tuesday, Boston’s first close finish in nearly one month and only the latest since the Denver game to go down to the last shot. Tatum had 19 seconds to shoot down by one point, Mazzulla tried to call timeout with 4.6 remaining and couldn’t before Tatum launched a mid-ranger over two defenders, falling to 1-of-6 in those opportunities this year after a successful Cavaliers challenge of what officials originally deemed a foul on Darius Garland.

On Thursday, the Celtics face the Nuggets in Denver as one-point underdogs in a game likely to at least enter crunch time, where the Celtics are 18-9, but a deeper dive by Chris Forsberg revealed that Tuesday’s loss dropped Boston to 4-6 (T-21st) in the final minute of one-point games and 2-5 (T-24th) in the final 10 seconds. Late game situation worries remain alive for a team that in recent months hasn’t had many opportunities to practice them.

It’s not worth comparing, given the drastically different rosters, but opponents outscored Boston by 11.6 points per 100 possessions in clutch playoff finishes, winning 6-of-11. The Celtics went 24-13 in crunch time last regular season, but 7-11 in the final minute, including 6-10 in the last 10 seconds. The 2022 Celtics went 7-14 and 6-9, respectively, in those situations.

“I don’t think you can get rusty (in crunch time)” Mazzulla told reporters in Cleveland on Tuesday. “We’ve given up offensive rebounds at the end of the shot clock when we were winning. In situations like this, they just become a little more heightened and a little more attention to detail to them. We’ve had take fouls in the back court before that didn’t hurt us, because of a different time of the game. They’re the same situations that have been happening, they’re just in more of a critical time, so there’s a good heightened awareness to them.”

Mazzulla said on 98.5 before the game, too, that he wasn’t concerned about the sparse amount of  late game situations they’ve faced since February began. He noted that the coaching staff goes over situational planning in meetings and the Celtics have practiced late game actions in the past, but on Tuesday, Tatum became the league leader in shot attempts to tie or take the lead in a game with under five seconds remaining since 2019-20.

Tatum has made the most shots (10), and his percentage (27.8%) stacks up well among the other stars to take those shots, Boston could use more pace, variety and activity in those late game scenarios. Especially given how results have played out: Tatum is shooting 32.6% in crunch time this season, while Porzingis ranks fourth in attempts on the roster despite hitting 69.6% from the field and drawing 16 free throws. He didn’t shoot once in the January loss to Denver.

Here are the other crunch time results this season: 

+/- 1 pt, final 10 sec: 2-5 (t-24th)

Jan. 19 vs. DEN: Tatum misses mid-range jumper over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the buzzer trailing by two points. Celtics lose, 102-100. 

Jan. 10 vs. MIN: Tatum scores six straight points to spark a 9-0 run after Boston trailed by seven points with 2:12 remaining. Anthony Edwards ties the game at the free throw line with 0:09 remaining. Celtics pass up a timeout and Tatum misses a long two at the buzzer over Jaden McDaniels. Boston wins overtime, 16-9, and wins, 127-120. 

Jan. 8 @ IND: Jaylen Brown and Porzingis score seven straight points after trailing by five to take a 131-129 lead with 1:05 remaining. TJ McConnell ties the game at the free throw line, Brown misses an elbow jumper, then after a stop gets fouled by Buddy Hield on the baseline. The Pacers challenge successfully and Bennedict Mathurin wins the game at the free throw line with one second remaining following a Porzingis foul guarding him on the perimeter. Hield later admitted he fouled Brown on the play. Tatum rested and the Celtics lost, 133-131.

Dec. 28 vs. DET: The Celtics trail by 21 points before halftime and won the third, 35-16, to take the lead before a contested fourth. Porzingis scores five straight points to take the lead after Boston trailed by four with five minutes to go. The Celtics lead by six with 1:56 left after his three, then Jaden Ivey ties the game with a pair of three-point plays. Tatum broke the tie on a goaltending call against Cade Cunningham with nine seconds remaining, but Bojan Bogdanovic put back Cunningham’s miss four seconds later.

Tatum missed a leaner over two defenders at the buzzer from the elbow. Boston went on to win in overtime, 128-122, thanks to 10 points from Derrick White. 

Dec. 19 @ GSW: Boston squanders a 17-point third quarter lead, but built a seven point advantage again with 4:07 left in the fourth. The Warriors tie the game on a 14-7 run with 1:36 remaining, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson each hitting a pair of threes before the Celtics missed five shots on one possession. Golden State misses two chances to take the lead on the next possession, Boston failing to challenge the offensive rebound call, then Tatum drained 15 seconds before missing a three over Jonathan Kuminga. The Celtics lost in overtime, 132-126, after a 1-for-8 start.

Nov. 20 @ CHA: The Celtics led by nine points with 2:20 to go in the fourth without White before Brown missed a pair of jump shots, Tatum squandered a layup and Jrue Holiday botched a pair of free throws while LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams ripped off nine straight points. Tatum drained the final seven seconds in the corner, drew a double team and passed to Hauser, who air-balled a three at the buzzer. The Celtics lost in overtime, 121-118, after Brown missed a go-ahead three with 30 seconds left, Miles Bridges hit one the other way and Tatum failed to make a game-tying free throw with 0:05 remaining. 

Nov. 8 @ PHI: Porzingis front-rimmed a wide open three trailing by three at the buzzer after the Celtics stormed back from down 14 points with 2:23 to go in the fourth. Porzingis, Brown, Tatum and White scored 10 straight before Joel Embiid answered with a two, Brown hit back with a three to make it a one possession game with 30 seconds left. Tyrese Maxey missed a pair of threes to give Porzingis the opportunity to force overtime. The Celtics lost, 106-103.

Nov. 6 @ MIN: Holiday cut the Wolves’ lead to one possession after the Celtics trailed by five points with five minutes remaining. Brown and Tatum tied the game with back-to-back scoring plays, Brown and McDaniels traded threes, then each team squandered its following three possessions, giving Brown a clean look at a pull-up three for the win that he missed. The Celtics lost in overtime, 114-109, allowing a 9-0 Wolves run without calling timeout after taking a two point lead early in the extra period. 

+/- 1 pt, final 1 min: 4-6 (t-21st)

Nov. 17 @ TOR:  White’s three with 0:27 gives the Celtics the edge in a 5-2 finish. Celtics win, 108-105. 

Dec. 29 @ TOR Luke Kornet’s dunk ties the game at 0:32 before Holiday wins the game with a pair of trips to the free throw line in a 4-2 Boston finish. Celtics win, 120-118. 

+/- 2 pts, final 2 min: 8-8 (15th)

Oct. 25 @ NYK: Porzingis breaks a 101-101 tie late before closing out the game at the free throw line with Payton Pritchard to cap a 7-3 finish. Celtics win, 108-104. 

Dec. 1 vs. PHI: Al Horford gave the Celtics a late lead before Brown and Holiday hit a pair of free throws each before Holiday found Pritchard, making a spot appearance in the closing lineup, inside to cap a 9-3 run after the Sixers led, 117-116, with 1:43 remaining without Embiid. Celtics win, 125-119. 

Jan. 3 @ OKC: Jalen Williams’ shot over Tatum held off a Celtics rally to within two, as the Thunder finish 6-4 following White’s three that pulled Boston with 119-121. Celtics lose, 127-123. 

Feb. 11 @ MIA: Tyler Herro pulls the Heat within two with 1:49 left. Tatum and Brown miss their next shots around a pair of free throws by Porzingis, but Boston grabbed an offensive rebound and Tatum hit his final two free throws to escape on a 4-2 finish after the Heat lost Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier. Celtics win, 110-106.

+/- 3 pts, final 3 min: 11-9 (12th)

Oct. 27 vs. MIA: Kevin Love and Herro hit threes to pull within three after trailing by eight. White hits a pair of free throws and Brown converts a three to pull the Celtics away late. Boston wins, 119-111. 

Nov. 11 vs. MIL: Celtics lead by 10 points with three minutes left before missing consecutive threes while Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard drain theirs to cut within three. Tatum and Holiday hit their free throws to go back up by six as Lillard misses back-to-back threes. Celtics win, 119-116. 

Nov. 19 @ MEM: Santi Aldama missed a potential game-winning three after Porzingis tied the game at the free throw line then finished the game-winning dunk on a pass from Tatum. Holiday tried dunking with the shot clock turned off, setting up Memphis’ final transition push. Celtics win, 102-100. 

Dec. 4 @ IND: The Pacers pulled away in the In-Season Tournament on a 20-11 run in a tie game with three minutes remaining. Brown and Tatum made three straight shots to stay within four late, but Tatum turned the ball over twice down by five and seven before Hield tossed in a three at the buzzer. Celtics lose, 122-112. 

Jan. 30 vs. IND: Aaron Nesmith and the Pacers pulled within three from down by nine points with 1:04 left before White blocked him on a potential game-tying three in the corner before Holiday closed out the game at the free throw line. White also stopped the previous fast break ahead by three with a smart take foul. Celtics win, 129-124. 

+/- 5 pts, final 5 min: 18-9 (t-3rd)

Nov. 15 @ PHI: 15-8 Celtics finish after leading by four with 5 minutes remaining. Celtics win, 117-107 

Dec. 12 vs. CLE: The Celtics led, 110-106, after Porzingis’ free throw with 5:06. Porzingis and Tatum go on a 7-0 run as part of 10-7 finish. Celtics win 120-113.

Dec. 14 vs. CLE: Cavs pull within 107-102 after 5-0 CLE run at 3:01. Holiday and Tatum answer, 6-0, as part of 9-5 finish. Celtics win 116-107.

Jan. 6 @ TOR: Raptors go on an 8-0 run from down 100-88. Horford and Holiday answer, 5-0, ahead by four with 2:00 remaining. Celtics win 105-96. 

Jan. 29 vs. NOLA: Celtics take a 99-98 lead after White hit a three at 5:05, and it flows into an 8-0 run for White and Tatum. The Pelicans pull back within three, but Boston answers, 10-2, with White, Horford, Tatum and Brown scores as part of 14-11 finish while Zion Williamson fades late. Celtics win 118-112. 

Feb. 7 vs. ATL: The Hawks go on a run from down 11, to within 120-115, with 1:17 left, before Boston finishes 5-2. Celtics win 125-117. 

Feb. 9 vs. WAS: The Wizards go on a 15-4 run from down 15 points, to within 129-125 at 0:51, and the two sides finish 4-4 in the final minute. Celtics win 133-129.