The Boston Celtics have been on a roll over the past few weeks. eventually maxing out at a nine-game winning streak that was snapped on Wednesday in a 112-111 home loss to the lowly Detroit Pistons. Despite the rather bad loss, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka had some encouraging words for his players, noting that while they will not be happy to lose this one, they can still take pride in how far they have come as a team, and how good they could possibly become.
“It's going to leave a sour taste for sure, but we look back at some of the things we did well during the streak … what I did tell them was congrats on what we've done … think about what we've got coming forward.” – Ime Udoka
Up next for the Celtics after the NBA‘s All-Star break is a three-game road trip to close out the month of February. First, they head to New York to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, February 24th, then they head to Michigan for a rematch with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday the 26th, and cap it off with a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Indiana Pacers on the 27th. All of those games seem winnable for the Celtics, who have used their newfound defensive prowess to bulldozer opponents this month. The return of Marcus Smart after he missed multiple weeks with a hand injury has certainly helped in that regard.
Smart is one of the most relentless defenders in the NBA and the Celtics seem to take on his image when he is on the court. Not coincidentally, Smart missed Wednesday's loss to the Pistons. Hopefully, for Celtics fans, he can stay on the court for the rest of the season because his team is obviously much better when he is out there.
Follow Us
Subscribe