Bob Ryan also points to the subpar defense the Celtics have been playing against competent foes in recent contests.

EXCLUSIVE: Jaylen reacts to season-high 44 points vs. Pacers Jaylen Brown joins Abby Chin in an exclusive 1-on-1 interview following the Celtics' 142-105 win over the Indiana Pace

With a 23-8 record, the Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the league and in a great position to defend their NBA title. However, the Celtics are coming off a shaky month of December, where they posted a 7-5 record,

Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points and the Indiana Pacers rebounded from a 37-point loss to Boston two nights earlier by beating the Celtics 123-114 on Sunday night in the rematch

Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points in the Pacers' upset of the Celtics with 10 of his 11 field goals being 2-pointers with several at the rim.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points and the Pacers held on to beat the Celtics two days after losing to them by 37.

Jaylen Brown produced a much-needed dominant performance to get the Boston Celtics back on track. Joe Mazzulla's team had dropped its last two games and three of its last four. Boston has been dealing with a string of injuries this season,

The Boston Celtics have lost four of their last six games. During this most recent stretch, many of the Celtics' defeats have come from inconsistency on defense as the team's unit has ranked 15th in the league.

As far as Eastern Conference contenders go, the Boston Celtics shouldn’t be struggling. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still lead the way. The supporting cast remains intact. And on the sidelines, Joe Mazulla continues to utilize the playbook that granted them a championship.