Celtics just can't find the answers
HOUSTON -- Midway through the Celtics' franchise-record 18-game losing streak, a strange trend developed in the locker room: Players stopped dissecting box scores.
If anything, they gave the final statistics a passing glance, knowing they would not find the answers there. Shooting percentages, or points scored off turnovers, or rebounding differentials were not providing insight.
The trend continued Saturday night after the Celtics' 105-87 loss to the Utah Jazz -- not a box score was in sight.
When asked about Boston's 23 turnovers (for 23 points) against Utah, Paul Pierce shrugged, noting that all the numbers told him was that his team suffered another loss.
For a deeper explanation of why Boston dropped its fourth game in a row and its 28th out of 31, some Celtics suggested looking at the source of frustration. It may not be the mounting losses that have some down, but a sense they could do more to help but don't get the opportunity.
"Everybody is getting frustrated and down on themselves," said Kendrick Perkins. "I think a lot of guys are frustrated for a whole lot of different reasons and that could affect their play. It could be anything -- a person not playing to a person not getting touches. It can carry on to the team. You never know what's going through somebody's head.
"I don't want to say that [players have their own agendas]. There's adversity and it's kind of hard to not stray away. To stick with the team shows the kind of person you are. That's what I try to keep emphasizing. You can see people are mad about certain things. If you don't have a clear mind going on to the basketball court, you can't play your best basketball."
To the credit of Doc Rivers and the players, the situation has not devolved into a finger-pointing mess. No player is publicly complaining, calling out teammates, or questioning game plans. At least, not yet. Maybe that's because of Boston's inexperience when it comes to such matters. Maybe that's because the Celtics are so worn down by the losses they don't see any point to it.
It is disconcerting that the Celtics have not been more vocal with their frustration. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for someone to turn the locker room upside down, or at least throw some water bottles around for good measure.
Maybe the absence of some fire from the team is what has Rivers commenting that the young players could be "potentially good or potentially bad." Maybe he is trying to start something by shaking up the starting lineup and promising to use only those players who display the right effort.
"To me, Al [Jefferson] should play every night, Paul should play, and then Delonte [West]," said Rivers. "Other than that, everybody else plays only if they play hard. I accept that they're going to make mistakes. I can live with those. Effort has to be the No. 1 quality to stay on the floor."
Rivers, in recognizing Boston's poor efforts against the Lakers and Jazz reflected a team that is emotionally up and down, added: "There are going to be games where they're going to feel sorry for themselves. Then, there will be games where they'll compete throughout."
Rivers can only hope that in tonight's contest against the Houston Rockets, the Celtics will compete throughout, resembling the team that showed up at the start of the trip (optimistic after a win against the Bucks Feb. 14), not the one that gave up in the middle.
After returning from nearly two months off because of injury, the trip has taken the greatest toll on Pierce. He believes it could take as long as a month to return to form, noting fatigue has affected his ability to make shots.
"I'm admitting to being fatigued," said Pierce. "I only have like three practices under my belt for the whole last two months. It was five days off for All-Star break and I jumped right into four games in five nights. I really still don't have my legs under me. I still don't have the lift that I get. I'm still trying to get that back."
But even when Pierce gets his lift back, there is no guarantee he will be able to give the Celtics a boost. Right now, the best news for Boston is that with every game played, the end of the season draws closer.
Shira Springer can be reached at springer@globe.com. 
