The Boston Celtics Add Another ‘Worst Loss Ever’ to Their Lengthy List
Just when Boston Celtics fans thought their team had turned things around, things may have hit a new low point. The Celtics played without Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker but faced a lowly Oklahoma City Thunder team that had dropped 14 straight and was on the second night of a back-to-back after losing by 31 points to the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston found a way to have another ‘worst loss ever’ moment.
The Boston Celtics have had a rough 2020-21 season
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
While several NBA teams would love to be sitting at 32-30 in late April, the Celtics aren’t one of them. Coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance a year ago, Boston had high hopes this season. Instead, the team has hovered around the .500 mark most of the season and has been considered one of the league’s biggest disappointments.
With a pair of young NBA All-Stars in Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics were expected to compete this year and beyond. This year has been filled with frustration from the players to the front office to the fans. At one point, GM Danny Ainge took the blame, saying his roster just wasn’t good enough.
Earlier this season, Walker, an NBA veteran, said the Celtics weren’t playing hard. Brown was frustrated with the offense, issuing a “no comment” when asked about the team’s ball movement. The team appeared to turn things around with a six-game win streak from April 7-17, but have lost their last three.
Celtics suffer ugly home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder
This one should never have happened. The Celtics entered Tuesday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Tatum, Walker, and Robert Williams. They were still an 11-point favorite against a team that hadn’t tasted victory since March.
The Thunder had dropped 14 straight games. They played Monday night at Philadelphia and were thumped by the Sixers, 121-90 to fall to 20-41. There’s not a whole lot to play for this year for the Thunder, but they came into Boston and handed the Celtics their “worst loss ever,” according to Celtics Blog.
Boston dug an early hole and trailed by 11 in the third quarter only to rally and take the lead. The Thunder regained that 11-point edge, taking a 106-95 lead with 2:25 to play. Boston got within three with 30 seconds remaining but wound up with what could be its ugliest loss of the season.
The Celtics had have their share of ‘worst losses’ this season
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Calling it the Celtics’ worst loss ever might be a stretch, but it’s definitely one of the worst this season. The Celtics have plenty of those to pick from and that should be a reflection of Ainge, the players, and head coach Brad Stevens. If Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder isn’t the worst this year, here are some that just might be.
In the game before the ugly loss to the Thunder, the Celtics had another embarrassing defeat, falling to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are a playoff contender but the Celtics did have both Tatum and Brown and were manhandled from the get-go in a 125-104 rout.
The Celtics also have two losses to the lowly Detroit Pistons, including one at home, but what may have been the Celtics’ worst loss at the time (and still could be) happened on Feb. 21 at New Orleans. The Celtics held a 24-point lead in the third quarter against the Pelicans only to lose 120-115 in overtime. “This one definitely hurts. It’s tough. Just a tough loss — a game we 100 percent should have won.” Brown said after that game, according to ESPN. It’s been ugly in Boston, and those “worst losses’ keep piling on.
