Inside The Celtics

Celtics Stars Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in Danger of Missing Raptors Clash

Matt Levine

Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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The Boston Celtics have been uncharacteristic in recent games, dropping four of their past six contests. The Celtics have struggled in recent games but they have also been dealing with some big injury concerns.

Ahead of their matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the Celtics could be missing a few starters. Both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are listed as questionable heading into the contest.

Both Porzingis and Holiday have missed the past few games as the Celtics have faltered a little bit. The defense has struggled without them in the lineup and it's shown in their performances on the court.

It's gotten to the point that star Jaylen Brown called out the team for their defensive effort in their last game. Brown said that Boston needs to get back to being a defensive-dominant team.

“We’ve got to get back to emphasizing the defensive side of the ball,” Brown said. “It’s kind of slipped over the last few games, our intensity. Teams are pressuring us and being physical with us. We’ve got to do the same stuff back to them. We did some good stuff in spots, but just not enough.”

“We’ve had some great moments this season and maybe some comfort has slipped in,” Brown said. “Offensively, we’re fine. I just think defensively we’ve got to find ways to get more stops and be more consistent protecting the basket, helping each other, communicating. We just didn’t emphasize that enough."

The Celtics will need to get back to the basics if they want to keep being one of the best teams across the NBA. Boston seems to be falling into the trap that many champions do, which is devaluing the regular season since they are so focused on winning come playoff time.

But for the Celtics to position themselves for the playoffs, they will have to turn things around. The Cleveland Cavaliers still hold the best record in the Eastern Conference while the New York Knicks are creeping up behind them in the standings.

The Celtics remain one of the favorites to win the title again despite these struggles but they can't let their foot off the gas. This team is too dominant and should be able to turn things around quickly,

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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