As the regular season nears its final whistle, signs of fatigue are creeping in. The 82-game sprint flew by, but the real battle begins now. Will the Boston Celtics hold onto their crown or pass the torch? Wednesday’s 76-96 stumble against the Orlando Magic didn’t inspire confidence—it felt surreal. Yet, deeper concerns quietly caught up with Joe Mazzulla and his squad, turning it into more than just a bad night.
Speaking to the media after their loss, Payton Pritchard, C’s hero of the night, admitted to something concerning that might have affected the game.
He said, “Overall, everybody had good energy.” But, “It’s tough. Like, you know, sometimes you have a lack of basic moments, and I think that just comes from mental fatigue.” It isn’t surprising that Pritchard is confessing to exhaustion or mental fatigue taking over the team. However, with the playoffs around the corner, they must shrug off this feeling!
At the same time, Mazzulla missed Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the floor on Wednesday. The two big forces sat out with an ankle sprain and knee issues, respectively. Thus, a degree of responsibility falls on Pritchard. The 27-year-old guard admitted, “For sure, sure. It’s a leadership jump.” He added, “So, you got to kind of lead the group, making sure everybody’s involved, making sure everybody’s playing the right way.”
However, the loss didn’t sit well with the star, and he took accountability for the same. Payton Pritchard said: “So, maybe I didn’t do the best job of that tonight. But there are certain times I let the game kind of get out of control. And, like, they went on runs when, you know, you need a bucket or you need a stop and stuff like that. So, some of those is on me, for sure.”
Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla also admitted, or rather pointed out, the biggest flaw in their game that led to the disheartening loss.
Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla’s honest confession after 20-point deficit in Magic loss
A night that ended with only 76 points for the Boston Celtics. A night of low scoring and mental fatigue, without Tatum and Brown. What truly went wrong for Mazzulla’s team? Simply put, their offense gave up on Wednesday. Even the head coach wouldn’t deny that.
Speaking to the media, Joe Mazzulla said: “We got some good looks, didn’t make them. I thought, you know, Orlando’s defense was good. You know, we had 16 turnovers. So, they won the shot margin there. So, it’s got to be better there.”
Nov 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the sideline as they take on the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Celtics’ reserves battled Orlando’s defense but couldn’t find consistent rhythm despite Pritchard’s double-double and strong efforts from Scheierman and Kornet. Early on, Boston leaned on defense, smothering the Magic’s unstable offense while struggling to hit shots themselves. They finally broke through late in the first with an 8-0 run, seizing brief control. However, momentum quickly shifted. A costly foul and Orlando’s sudden scoring burst flipped the script before the buzzer.
Wednesday’s unraveling wasn’t just a cold shooting night—it was a wake-up call. Between mental lapses, missing leaders, and an offense that vanished, the Celtics looked vulnerable. Still, time isn’t on their side. With the Playoffs looming, urgency must replace uncertainty, and the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown needs to be fit and firing.
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