The Boston Celtics couldn’t make shots.
Defensively, they couldn’t get stops.
Mix those two together against a team like the Los Angeles Clippers and the outcome as you might expect, wasn’t a pretty one.
The Clippers pulled away for a decisive 114-90 win, a victory fueled in large part by Boston’s poor shooting.
For the game, Boston shot just 34.8 percent from the field.
“Anytime that we got close, we didn’t play with any composure to get back over the hump,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told reporters after the loss.
While the loss was certainly disappointing, the Celtics knew going into tonight’ s game that they would have their hands full against a Clippers squad looking to avenge a 139-134 overtime loss in Boston on Feb. 10.
Boston Celtics
“We have to be better than that,” Stevens said. “We have to play better next time we take the court Thursday.”
Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Monday’s game.
STARS
Chris Paul
There were others who scored more points, but it was Paul’s play that set the tone for this dominant performance by the Clippers. He finished with a double-double of 13 points and 14 assists, most of which he tallied in the first half.
Isaiah Thomas
He continues to score better than any Celtic player around, leading the team for the 13th straight game which ties a franchise record, with 24 points.
Clippers bench
They have been a much-maligned group at times, but came through with their best collective scoring night of the season on Monday in tallying a season-high 67 points which had four different double-digit scorers off the bench.
STUDS
DeAndre Jordan
His scoring around the basket and usual rim protection were huge for the Clippers. Heck, he even made most of his free throws where he made five of his seven free throw attempts. Jordan had 15 points and 13 rebounds along with three blocked shots.
DUDS
Celtics bench
The second unit did very little to give Boston a lift on a night when they desperately needed someone to emerge. And while the final numbers don’t look that shabby, keep in mind that a good chunk of those stats came about when the outcome was no longer in doubt.
