Celtics’ Jrue Holiday Laments ‘Good Old-Fashioned A– Whooping’ by Clippers
The Boston Celtics still hold the NBA’s best record, but Saturday night’s lopsided loss to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers was a big surprise.
The Celtics entered the game with a 20-1 home record this season but were run out of the gym in an ugly 115–96 loss. The game wasn’t as close as the final score might appear, and Boston guard Jrue Holiday summed up how the night went with an extremely candid breakdown.
“A good old-fashioned a– whooping,” Holiday said while speaking with the media, via NBC Sports Boston. “They did everything better. Rebounding, transition, 50-50 balls–it seemed like they were a step ahead. Definitely humbling, I think, to be able to kind of come home and get your butt kicked.”
Saturday night’s loss was one of the few times this season where very little went in the Celtics’ favor, as they shot just 36% from the field and 25% from three-point range. Boston trailed by as many as 36 points at one point and was down by 31 entering the fourth quarter.
Jayson Tatum was the only Celtics starter to score in double figures (21 points), and only three players topped 10 points for Joe Mazzulla’s squad. The Clippers were led by Kawhi Leonard, who recorded 26 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.