Over the last ten games, the Boston Celtics have looked… human. They’re 5-5 in that stretch, with some gut-punch losses to teams they’d normally be expected to handle - the Spurs, Pacers, Bulls, and Pistons.
The only game that really got away from them was a blowout at the hands of the Hawks on Wednesday night. But even that might say more about Atlanta’s execution than Boston’s deficiencies.
Now, before anyone hits the panic button, let’s be clear: this isn’t some dramatic collapse. Statistically, the Celtics haven’t fallen off a cliff.
They’re still putting up numbers that place them among the league’s elite. But the margins have gotten thinner, and in the NBA, that’s often the difference between a win and a frustrating “L.”
What’s been biting them lately is a mix of inconsistent shooting and some unfortunate timing. Every few games, Boston’s offense goes cold - not for long, but long enough to give opponents an opening.
And when those opponents are shooting lights out, it becomes a problem. Just look at the recent losses: the Bulls dropped 21 threes on them in a narrow three-point win, the Pacers hit 16-of-37 in a two-point squeaker, and the Hawks caught fire with 18-of-42 from deep in their midweek rout.
That’s not just hot shooting - that’s molten.
Free throw disparities haven’t helped either. Against the Spurs, the Celtics got to the line just four times.
Then it was nine trips in Indiana, and nine again versus Chicago. That’s not enough for a team that thrives on physicality and downhill pressure.
But across the league, we’ve seen a dip in whistles lately, and Boston’s not the only team feeling that shift.
So what’s really going on here? Is this just a classic late-January slump?
A stretch of bad luck? Or is it something more structural?
Joe Mazzulla kept it simple after the loss in Atlanta, calling it a “bad day at the office.” And sure, that’s part of it.
Teams have off nights. But Atlanta didn’t just outshoot the Celtics - they outworked them.
Ten days earlier, Boston had dropped 132 on the Hawks in their own building. This time, Atlanta came out with purpose, and it showed.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker summed it up after the game: “We just guarded the ball well.” That’s an understatement.
With Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson forming a long, athletic perimeter trio, the Hawks disrupted Boston’s rhythm right from the jump. They blew up early actions, hounded the ball handlers, and forced 16 turnovers.
Payton Pritchard and Derrick White both had off nights as facilitators, and Jaylen Brown struggled under the pressure.
That kind of ball pressure isn’t new for Boston - they’ve seen it before, most notably in their four matchups with the Pistons. Even though the Celtics are 3-1 in that series, the games have been tight, and Detroit’s physicality has clearly bothered them.
The total point differential over those four games? Just -11.
That’s not the kind of dominance you’d expect from a team with championship aspirations.
And yet, zoom out, and Boston’s offense is still humming. They’re just a hair behind the Nuggets for the most efficient offense in the league.
That’s no small feat, especially considering the roster adjustments and expectations coming into the season. Mazzulla and his staff deserve credit for keeping the machine running.
But with the trade deadline looming and Jayson Tatum’s return on the horizon, the front office has to be asking some tough questions. When the playoffs arrive - when the game slows down, the whistles get quieter, and every possession is a fistfight - can this team handle the heat? Can they stay poised under pressure and execute when the game turns into a grind?
The Celtics are still very much in the title conversation. But the last ten games have served as a reminder: talent alone doesn’t win in April, May, and June.
Physicality, execution, and resilience do. And if Boston wants to raise Banner 19, they’ll need all three - every night.