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One of the major pieces of news coming out of the NBA in recent weeks has been Boston Celtic coach Ime Udoka calling on his team to show greater mental strength. The men in green and white have been guilty of blowing big leads on several occasions in the 2021-22 NBA season, leaving them in real danger of missing out on the Playoffs.
Udoka, whose father hails from Nigeria, ripped into his team after a heart-breaking 108-105 defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks earlier this month.
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka (L) talks with Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder (R) during the second quarter at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 01 November 2021. EPA/CJ GUNTHER SHUTTERSTOCK OUT
“I think it’s a lack of mental toughness to fight through those adverse times,” Udoka said after forward RJ Barrett’s banked-in three-pointer at the buzzer completed a 25-point Knicks comeback to stun the Celtics. “To your point, it’s across the board. It’s a turnover here, a bad shot here, a missed defensive assignment here, and several missed rebounds tonight.
“So it’s a lot of different things. And then, like I said, a calming presence to slow it down and get us what we want is really what you need at that point. And sometimes we all get caught up in it.”
Fourth-quarter collapses and late-game breakdowns have become an ugly habit for Boston. Udoka said for that to change, his team’s approach has to change in those moments: “It’s guys getting rattled when it’s not the end of the world,” Udoka said. “You still have a 12-point, comfortable lead, and you gotta end that run.
“We have to understand time and score, and we need a solid shot and not just get caught up in the game. You have to play the game different in the first quarter than the fourth quarter. Different when the team is going on the run and when you’re getting stops and getting out running.
“It’s not open gym. You can’t just play the same way the whole game. So we have to have better understanding of that and get the quality of shot that we want to stop a run and not just get caught up in it and four, five guys make the wrong play and it starts to snowball.”
Udoka will hope his harsh words provoke a response in upcoming games, with the Celtics looking to bring themselves back into winning form and move up the Eastern Conference table.
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Catch the following games live on ESPN this week…
All times CAT
Saturday 22 January
03:15: Washington Wizards v Toronto Raptors – LIVE on ESPN 2
Sunday 23 January
20:00: New York Knicks v Los Angeles Clippers – LIVE on ESPN
