The Boston Celtics fell 106-103 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday evening, failing to complete a late-game comeback and losing for the second time in as many games this week. Boston led by as many as 11 in the contest and had a real chance to steal a win down the stretch. Turnovers and poor shooting doomed ultimately doomed the Celtics, however.
Following the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla seemed defensive of his club in a bizarre exchange with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. Other members of the Celtics orbit were a little more upbeat, though, including big man Kristaps Porzingis. The former All-Star led Boston’s scoring efforts with 29 points on a night where both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown struggled to find a rhythm. After the game, Porzingis shared why he was feeling optimistic despite the loss.
“I think we believed all the way through the end that we could win this game,” Porzingis said. “I always felt like we’d find a way to get back in this thing, and we did. We just fell a little bit short.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla spars with reporter after loss in Philly https://t.co/Ver0p7EFjf pic.twitter.com/nwbj28YLiH
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 9, 2023
“We’re working hard,” Porzingis added. “We’re working hard to be better with each game.”
This isn’t the first time Porzingis has approached a loss with an upbeat attitude. After Boston dropped its first game of the season, an overtime thriller against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the week, the big man had a positive assessment after the game.
“We got to learn something tonight,” Porzingis said. “It’s the losses like this that I think a team grows the most and we need this. Every team needs this.”
Boston Celtics flop on both ends vs. Philly, lose 106-103 https://t.co/CYWc6N6Yzt pic.twitter.com/2IQocRsehJ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 9, 2023
Porzingis has been very open about how excited he is to play for Boston and be in a position to compete for a title. The Latvia native has yet to make it out of the first round of the postseason in his NBA career but recognizes the path to contention takes persistence, patience, and grit.
“For me at least, I love winning,” Porzingis said. “But I also like these adversities. We lose some games, OK. How are we going to bounce back?”
Celtics Lab 126: On Boston's hot start, life after Lakers – Celtics, cannabis biz with Derek Fisher, Gloria Govan https://t.co/wEmDnYgIfF via @thecelticswire pic.twitter.com/FelFN2uKis
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 7, 2023
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