There’s been a ton of talk about the Celtics being bad in the clutch. They’re now 4-8 in one-point games in the final minute this season (h/t Bobby Manning). Many have pointed to their offensive execution as the main reason for the lack of success. It’s fair, but it’s not the only reason why they lose a lot of these games.
They’re just as unreliable on the glass as they are on offense.
Boston holds the eighth-best defensive rebounding percentage in the NBA at 72.7% on the season. The problem is, any time that they’re in a tight game that number drops significantly.