Stat about road trips:

Celtics last season on the 3rd game of 3 game road trips: 1-4. The one game they won was their second night in Charlotte (so still only 2 cities on that road trip). They were terrible in this spot last year.

Their other road trips included: December when the team fell back to earth (Brooklyn, Miami, Golden State, etc.) the inexplicable March losses (Houston and Utah in March), and then a 4 game road trip after new years where they gave up 150 to OKC.

Despite their success in the playoffs, this team generally hasn’t been good when on the road for an extended amount of time.

It’s almost like they look ahead of themselves going back home and let go of the rope. The exact problem of digging themselves into a hole in the playoffs.

I’m not so shocked that after their 5th city in 10 nights, while Sixers have been in Philadelphia for the last 11 days, that we came out flat and settled and didn’t shoot well.

Next 3 games are home against Brooklyn, Toronto and New York. Toronto on a back to back so could be tricky with Horford probably resting but then get a rematch with Philadelphia. All these games should be winnable but 3/4 puts us at 8-3, exactly where we were last year at that point.

How the team responds and plays over the next few games and into the following road trip I think will be telling if they really have it or if if there’s still similar problems.

If they let go of the rope against Memphis and Charlotte (specifically because they’re bad teams and not threats) and just launch 3’s and don’t stay aggressive to put them away like they did with Washington and Indiana, I think that’s actually an indicator this team hasn’t figured it out and has a mentality issue.

I can’t sit here and say that at game 14 if they have some lazy defensive performance against Memphis or Charlotte because they’re looking ahead to Milwaukee that I’ll feel great about their habits or focus.

Even in losses, I want to see this team fighting, because last night’s 2nd and 3rd quarter were not it.