Stevens, Tatum give their takes on what ailed Boston vs. Cavs, more generally

The issues in Boston’s 117-110 road loss to Cleveland on Wednesday night were easy to spot.

“I don’t disagree that toward the middle and the end of the first half, we looked like we weren’t playing as urgent, but it wasn’t that we came out that way,” Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said.

And truth be told, maintaining focus seems to be an issue not only for the Celtics, but much of the league this season. In the Eastern Conference, eight teams are in fourth place or within four games of the spot, and another five fit that criteria in the more competitive West.

While Celtics fans don’t want excuses, the grind of the regular season can cause a lot of games like Wednesday’s to take place.

Cavs lead wire-to-wire as Celtics suffer another disappointing loss https://t.co/JAiexrTWME

— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 18, 2021