Despite that, they held a 27th consecutive opponent to fewer than 100 points. While the defense has been there, the offense has struggled mightily. The Big Three have been wildly inconsistent.
First, Paul Pierce started slowly and Ray Allen averaged 20 points in his first six games. Now, Allen is mired in a shooting slump, and Pierce has struggled since passing Larry Bird on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. The Celtics, who took yesterday off, are 15-14.
The question is whether they are making progress, whether the Celtics are a fading champion headed for a fall or an aging power using the regular season to prepare for a long postseason run. The Celtics say it is the latter. They say progress is apparent, but those late-game stretches are costing them victories.
“It’s not like we’re just going out here [and stagnating],’’ Kevin Garnett said. “Every time we step on the floor, we’re trying to win a game and we’re trying to get better. Sometimes you get that without the outcome being what you want, but for the most part it’s a tough league. There’s no perfect game, no perfect formula to this. It’s only consistency, and we’re trying to get that.’’
But the Celtics are on the road, a tough place to find that. They are 4-6 away from home, with stops in Detroit, Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Cleveland remaining on this trip. Frustration has yet to set in, but coach Doc Rivers and the players want to start reaping the benefits of their work.
Unfortunately, their offensive weapons have not been productive at the same time. In the last three games, Rajon Rondo has been the catalyst with 84 points, but the Celtics are just 1-2.
While late defensive breakdowns have hurt, the Celtics have not been able to capitalize on the stops they do get. They were a combined 9 for 33 in the second and fourth quarters Thursday, as the Bulls pulled away before the half, and sealed the game with a 12-0 run.
