Paul Pierce blames C's struggles on 'regular-season boredom' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Paul Pierce isn't sweating the Boston Celtics' recent slump.
The C's enter Tuesday's game in Sacramento fighting for second place in the Eastern Conference after blowing a 19-point lead in Sunday's loss to the Utah Jazz. They're a modest 7-6 since the All-Star break and look like a different team than the one that dominated the first half of the campaign.
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Forsberg: Five keys to fixing what ails these Celtics
Their NBA title odds may have slipped slightly, but Pierce isn't ready to hit the panic button. The Celtics great joined Eddie House before tip-off vs. the Kings to explain why he believes Boston will snap out of its funk.
"I think their slump has a lot to do with just regular-season boredom," Pierce told House on "Celtics Pregame Live." "They want the playoffs to be here. But they've got to understand there's a process to all of this. I think they're starting to play down to the level of their opponents. But hey, you've got to play through the finish line, stop playing to the level of your opponents, and get to the playoffs but get to the playoffs doing the things you do best and playing the right way and winning some ballgames."
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Former NBAer Matt Barnes added his two cents on the C's situation.
"I just think they're complacent. I agree," he said. "They know they have one of the best teams in the league. They've shown during the season they're the best team in the NBA and arguably one of the deepest, so I think like Paul said, they've just got to get over the finish line and get to the playoffs."
The Celtics have 10 games left in the regular season to find their groove. They will return home after their six-game road trip to host the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
