It may be unfair to call it a “championship hangover” since they’re still second in the Eastern Conference standings, but the Boston Celtics’ rough stretch continued Wednesday night in Toronto.
The C’s fell to the Raptors 110-97 in one of their worst all-around performances of the 2024-25 season. They shot just 39.6 percent from the floor while allowing Toronto to make 50.6 percent of its shots.
Boston is now 7-7 over its last 14 games with three double-digit losses in its last five. Defensive struggles have arguably been the primary reason for those lackluster results, and former Celtics guard Eddie House didn’t hold back in his assessment of the team’s recent efforts on that end of the court.
“Yeah, it was nasty,” House said of the Celtics’ defeat. “I’m just trying to figure out this team right now. … We talk about the 3-point shots and our field goals and everything else with that, like how we’re scoring the basketball but to me, it’s the total opposite. It’s the defense. The defense over this last month has stunk. We put together a quarter here, a quarter there, maybe a half here and a half there. But a complete game of playing championship-caliber defense, I just haven’t seen it.
“I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s fatigue, I don’t know if it’s just the dog days of January and the end of December, whatever the case is, but we’re gonna get every team’s best shot. So this is not something that we have to be like, ‘Oh man, we’re surprised that we’re getting everybody’s best shot.’ You know that. You’re the champs. You know what I mean? You’re coming off of winning a world championship. You’re gonna get every team’s best shot, so you better come prepared. And for whatever reason, I don’t know, I just feel like (the Celtics were) a step slow. Eighteen field goals (allowed) in the restricted area. That’s just too many, I’m sorry.”
The C’s loss brings them to 28-12 on the season, still second in the East but falling further behind (6.5 games) the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference standings. House isn’t worried about the Celtics’ repeat chances just yet, but he believes it’s “self-reflection” time for the reigning champs.
“There’s no panic button to hit,” House said. “But there has to be some self-reflection from this team to look and say, ‘Hey man, it’s just not good enough.’ Especially what you’re trying to do because you’re building habits right now, and the habits that are being built and that are happening aren’t great habits.
“If you’re gonna repeat, that’s the main focus of this repeat is that it has to happen on the defensive end to allow yourself to be as great as you are on the offensive end.”
Boston will look to bounce back Friday when they welcome the Orlando Magic to TD Garden. Tip-off for the matchup is set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
Watch the full reaction from House and the Celtics Postgame Live crew below or on YouTube:
