The Boston Celtics have had issues closing out games all season. That was the case again in Friday night's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Down 15 in the second quarter, the C's went on a 27-7 run to take a four-point lead into the half. They widened that lead to 11 in the fourth quarter, but a scoring drought in the final seven minutes of the game resulted in a 109-105 defeat.
Jusuf Nurkic had a game-high 29 points for the Blazers to go with 17 rebounds. CJ McCollum chipped in 24 points and Anfernee Simons added 21 of his own.
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Jayson Tatum led the C's with 27 points while Jaylen Brown added 22 as the only other Boston starter in double figures.
Forsberg: What's wrong with Tatum's shot, and can fixing it save the C's?
Here are three instant takeaways from the Celtics' loss, which brings them to 23-24 on the season. They'll visit the Washington Wizards for a Sunday showdown at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Celtics' fourth-quarter struggles continue
Boston Celtics
Add Friday night's game to the growing list of "worst loss of the season" candidates for Boston. The fourth quarter has been a nightmare for most of the campaign and this defeat was no different.
The Celtics appeared to be on their way to a bounce-back win as they held a 100-89 lead with 7:19 left in the fourth. It was all downhill from there. Portland ended the game on a 20-5 run to steal a 109-105 victory.
Boston had 16 possessions and went 0-for-10 from the floor in the game's final 7:19. All five of its points came from free throws. It turned the ball over three times in that span.
Needless to say, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was none too pleased with yet another head-scratching loss.
"Disappointment, coaching staff as well as players, obviously," he said after the game. "We had turned somewhat of a corner lately in fourth quarters… it felt like we took a little step back."
Before Friday's meltdown, the Celtics were 3-2 in "clutch" games for January. They'll hope to avoid returning to December form when they were 2-7 in these types of close games.
Death comes in threes
After shooting just 30.4% from 3 in their loss to Charlotte, the Celtics struggled again going 11-37 (29.7%) as a team from beyond the arc vs. Portland. The Trail Blazers went 16-33 (48.5%) from 3-point range, and that ultimately made the difference.
It was another rough shooting night for all five of the Celtics' starters, but Jayson Tatum's ongoing 3-point woes are the primary concern. The All-Star wing has now missed 20 consecutive 3s going back to the first quarter of the Chicago Bulls game last Saturday. It's the longest 3-point drought of his career.
Tatum went 0-for-6 on 3s, his final attempt coming in the final minute of the fourth quarter when Boston needed a bucket.
Other than his bizarre 3-point slump, it was a solid night for Tatum. He finished with 27 points (8-for-13 from inside the arc), 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Eleven of his points came from the free-throw line, further proving that good things happen when he attacks the basket.
Romeo Langford, Grant Williams add a spark
Looking for something positive to take away from another rough Celtics loss? We've got you covered.
Romeo Langford was outstanding off the bench for Boston. The 22-year-old guard was a +17 with 12 points in 23 minutes. He added two blocks and a boost of energy when the C's needed something from their second unit.
Langford has scored in double figures in two consecutive games, marking the first time he's done so in his young NBA career.
Also providing plenty of energy off the bench was Grant Williams. While most of the team struggled from 3, Williams continued his impressive shooting from beyond the arc by drilling three of his five attempts.
Williams finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes.