How the Boston Celtics Can Be More Successful in the Clutch

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have to be wondering how a team with three of the league's more sound veteran talents is failing to stay in playoff contention this season.

At 4-7 on the season after a solid 4-3 start, the Boston Celtics look to be a team both out of sync and nearly out of confidence just 11 games into a 66-game season.

To make matters worse, the team will take a four-game losing streak to Oklahoma City on Monday. As it may well be the team's fifth-consecutive loss on the season, it will be important to keep composure going forward.

Aside from the aging, post-Kendrick Perkins effect that many wish to blame, more than anything else, it has been the Celtics' inability to perform late in games that has been the biggest concern for the team this season.

When it comes to fourth quarter play, the Celtics have averaged just 20.3 points during the four-game losing streak.

An inability for this Celtics team to get things done offensively late in games has taken a significant toll on this team's ability to win games.

Not to mention, on the road the Celtics have turned the ball over 18 times per contest, the third-highest average of any team in the NBA. Considering the Celtics are just 1-4 against teams away from Boston this season, has to be a worry for Rivers and company in the early going.

One of the big keys for these Celtics to be more clutch late in games will be translating their play at home to the road. For a team like the Celtics, that is in search of a title run this season, to make careless errors on the road is inexcusable.

The other crucial factor in improving the clutch factor on the road as well as in TD Garden will be the ability of Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Garnett and Allen to score the basketball in the fourth quarter. Time and time again the Celtics have had stagnant ball movement in the final minutes, essentially taking themselves out of a game before the opposing team does.

With more fluidity offensively, this Celtics team will be able to get stronger looks at the basket down the stretch and will be sure to cash in on these opportunities.

A more efficient offense in the fourth quarter as well as coming down hard on careless errors will make these Celtics a significantly more productive team and could well help these Celtics turnaround a troubling start to the season.