The Celtics won their fifth straight game when they beat the Raptors on Sunday. But that momentum and buzz was halted as the C’s play just two games over an 11-day stretch, leading to fans wondering why the schedule shook up that way.
The answer is because of the NBA Cup, the league’s third year having the in-season tournament. The NBA blocks off this stretch of days on the schedule ahead of time for every team in case they advance to the quarterfinals. If a team fails to advance, like the Celtics, they get two games added to their schedule.
“I don’t know if it’s as much momentum as it is maintaining the disciplines of the things that we have to do, the intensity with which we play with, the execution of the game plan that we that we execute, winning the situations, all those little things,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said of the break in the schedule. “I don’t know that it’s momentum as much as I think we’re playing to the identity of who we need to be.”
In Boston’s case, they face the Bucks on the road at 8 p.m. Thursday then the Pistons at home at 7 p.m. next Monday. The Celtics went 2-2 in NBA Cup play, beating the Pistons and 76ers, but losing to the Nets and Magic. The schedule is a tough blow considering, while the league showcases the NBA Cup participants, other teams are forced to take a break.
The NBA Cup scheduling is also odd because it crams games into other parts of the schedule. For example, ahead of this lean part, the Celtics came off a stretch of six games in nine days. That’s a lot of minutes over a short timeframe, only to then have several days off afterwards.
The Celtics have been flying high as they’ve won 10 of their last 12 games. They’re also third in the East with a 15-9 record. Ahead of what was expected to be a gap year, the Celtics suddenly look like real threats in the East. That’s without accounting for whatever happens with Jayson Tatum’s rehab and potential return this season. But for now, the C’s will take advantage of the time off to improve as a team.
“Just go over all the things we’ve been sucking at that you may not know or that you may not, quote, unquote, feel that way, because we win,” Mazzulla said. “Do we have the understanding of, like, hey, we had a transition clip today where the guy missed the layup. That’s good result, bad process. Finding those possessions and we have to win these possessions.”
