Jaylen Brown decisions hurt Celtics in overtime loss to Hornets
There is plenty of blame to go around for an ugly Celtics’ loss to the Hornets on Monday night. Jrue Holiday missed a pair of potentially game-clinching free throws in the final minute of regulation. Jayson Tatum missed a free throw with a chance to tie the game at the end of overtime. Joe Mazzulla watched the Hornets go on a 9-0 run at the end of regulation without calling a timeout.
Tired legs were clearly at play here as well for Boston’s third game in four days at the end of a lengthy road trip while down two rotation players. However, when dissecting the ugliness of Boston’s loss, the process almost matters more than the results on a night like this. The Celtics showed off some of their demons from years past, blowing a nine-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation against the worst defensive team in the NBA. When it mattered most, Boston couldn’t score and that cost them a chance to close out the game and seventh straight win.
While Holiday and Tatum both had their issues with missed free throws and layups in key spots, a more troublesome performance came from Jaylen Brown during key moments in the loss. The All-Star went just 5-of-17 on the night and misfired on 11 of his final 13 shot attempts, including a combined 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Outside of a hot first quarter, Brown was bad against the Hornets while also dealing with foul trouble in the second half. Despite being off with his shot, Brown seemed intent on trying to take down the Hornets’ defense himself rather than take advantage of the imposing supporting cast around him.
