After combining for 275 points in Utah and Portland, it seemed as though the Celtics had figured out both sides of the ball. After their 2-5 start, Boston went on an eleven-game stretch from November 3rd to the 22nd where they notched the league’s stingiest defense with a 100.1 defensive rating. However, they were still an average offensive team with a 107.9 offensive rating. From November 23rd to December 6th, they improved to 113.9 points per 100 possessions in those six games but unfortunately, their defense has slipped to 113.3.
On Tuesday night, their lost defensive identity combined with a poor shooting night resulted in a 117-102 loss to the Lakers.