BOSTON (KRT) — If the Celtics are going to break their six-year playoff drought this season, they have to defend the parquet and beat teams like the Milwaukee Bucks.
They did neither last night and suffered a 95-92 defeat. Their first home game in three weeks turned out to be their third consecutive loss.
“We compete well and give ourselves a chance to win, but we have to win the close games, the games that are three points or less,” Paul Pierce said.
And they have to win those games at the Fleet Center.
“We have to win big games, and that’s something we haven’t been doing at home. Teams feel like they can come in here and get a win,” he added.
Teams like Milwaukee. The Bucks were a great test of how prepared the Celtics are for their stretch run. The Bucks are 33-23 and second in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics 31-26 and fourth. Both teams rely on perimeter shooting. The Bucks are the best in the NBA with their 46.1 shooting percentage.
A year or two ago, the Celtics couldn’t play with teams like Milwaukee. Now they can play, but they just can’t beat them with consistency.
“When the game was on the line, they made tough shots,” said guard Kenny Anderson. “The shot clock was running down, and Ray Allen makes a big shot. They got second chances. That’s a veteran team. We got to find a way to beat them.”
Even though the Celtics lost, here’s how close this game was and these teams are. Each made 37 field goals. Boston had eight three-pointers, Milwaukee seven. Boston had 43 rebounds, Milwaukee 42; Boston 21 assists, Milwaukee 18; Boston 14 turnovers, Milwaukee 13; Boston seven blocked shots, Milwaukee seven; Boston an 11-point lead, Milwaukee a 10-point lead.
So what was the difference? Milwaukee’s 14 free throws to Boston’s 10, two each by Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell in the last 10 seconds. And Milwaukee’s 48.7 shooting percentage. Boston shot 41.6 percent.
“They’re a very good team led by three very good players. They’re tough to guard, especially when they shoot the basketball when they’re challenged, and the ball goes in,” Celtics coach Jim O’Brien said. “We competed very well and came up short.”
Cassell, the feisty guard, scored 26 points on an assortment of jump shots and five free throws. Allen, who can score from anywhere on the court, it seems, and Robinson, who drains 15-footers with ease, each scored 22. Michael Redd, another shooter, provided a spark off the bench by scoring 10 points.
The Celtics responded, predictably, with Antoine Walker and Pierce. Walker finished with 30 points on 13-for-27 shooting. Pierce had 21. Anderson was the only other Celtic in double figures with 10 points.
Newcomer Tony Delk struggled mightily in his Fleet Center debut as a Celtics guard. He was 1-for-8 from the floor and scored only four points. Rodney Rogers, the other half of the Feb. 20 trade that sent three Celtic reserves and a draft choice to Phoenix, played well. He logged 16 minutes, scored nine points and grabbed a couple of rebounds.
The Celtics, cheered by a crowd of 15,598 that included Tebucky Jones of the Patriots and Hall of Famer Bill Russell, each of whom received a standing ovation, refused to go down quietly. They trailed by five with 15 seconds left, but Walker drained a trey making it 91-89.
After Robinson’s free throws, Erick Strickland buried a three-pointer from the right corner, making it 93-92. Cassell’s free throws put Milwaukee ahead by three with 5.5 seconds left, and Walker’s off-balance three-point attempt at the buzzer grazed the rim.
“I don’t think we defended them at crucial parts of the game,” Pierce said. “We’re killing ourselves. … That’s when we should be more focused.”