Boston fans learned last month that when the Celtics struggle to rebound the ball, their record struggles as well.
The Boston Celtics had the third-worst rebound differential in the NBA in December, a staggering -1127 rating that trumped only the Phoenix Suns, the Orlando Magic and the Dallas Mavericks. Boston’s effort on the defensive glass was porous, as they yielded 410 offensive rebounds, the fifth-worst mark in the league.
Thus, they hit a bump in the road for the first time all season, losing consecutive games on December 20-21 for the first time since the opening pair of games in October.