Following Grant Williams' missed free throws, the Celtics lost to the Cavaliers in overtime.

The Celtics, who were playing without several key players, came close to defeating the Cavs on Monday, but ultimately lost 118-114 in overtime.

The key points are listed here.

1. Without a doubt, Grant Williams must be mentioned first. With a pair of free throws, a tied game, and only 0.8 seconds left on the clock, Williams had the opportunity to virtually seal a Celtics victory. However, first, a word about how the free throws were made.

Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers sprinted down the lane in search of a layup as the Celtics held a two-point lead. He missed, but the referee called Williams for a dubious foul. Referee Tony Brothers found that despite the Celtics' protests, the call on

Payton Pritchard then received the ball from the Celtics and rushed up the court in search of a game-winning layup. When Pritchard missed the layup, the Cavs fouled Williams, who then went to the line with a chance to steal the victory.

Before making his first free throw, Cavs player Donovan Mitchell approached Williams, and Williams was observed telling Mitchell he was about to make both of them.

Williams missed the first shot and then missed the second as well after the Cavs expertly iced him for almost a minute by shifting back and forth in the lane. Marcus Smart came close to returning the ball, but his tip missed the basket.

Williams had an otherwise excellent game, shooting 4-for-6 from the field and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. It was a tough time for him. It appeared like the 24-year-old forward, who will be eligible for a new deal after this season, may have a positive performance following a string of poor showings to regain his confidence.

Williams, though, inadvertently cost the Celtics the contest. Less than 24 hours after a tough double-OT battle with the Knicks, the Celtics appeared exhausted and were unable to retain a slender lead in overtime against a very talented Cavs squad.

Not much more needs to be said about the free throws. Williams didn't try to miss them, as Joe Mazzulla correctly highlighted in his prediction that Williams would recover. After playing their eleventh NBA game in two days, the team went together to lift weights. Williams received widespread online mockery, which is, quite simply, the risk you take when you tell your opponent you're about to make both of your free shots before failing to do so.Brutal, merely.

Williams must perform well for the Celtics when the postseason arrives. He was the best at defending Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant last season, and he was a major factor in the Celtics' run to the Finals.

The Celtics should focus on helping Williams over the course of the upcoming month. Sadly, it seems that they have a lot of worthwhile projects in the works.

2. Considering the circumstances, Jaylen Brown had a great, gritty performance. He scored 32 points on 12-for-26 shooting while Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Robert Williams were all out injured. He also had 13 rebounds and nine assists, falling one assist short of a triple-double.

Malcolm Brogdon performed admirably in his first game back from an ankle injury, scoring 24 points on 8 of 14 shots. Despite clearly being exhausted, a few players on Monday nevertheless managed to play well. The panic metre might have been considerably lower if the Celtics had simply lost in a conventional manner.

3. The Celtics made far more 3-pointers than their opponent for the second consecutive night, yet they still lost. They only made 16 of their 48 deep shots on Monday, or 33.3 percent.

Once more, it seemed like exhaustion was an issue. The Celtics effectively moved the ball and made 13 of 25 long-range shots in the first half before going 3-for-23 in the second, including Derrick White's late 3-point attempt that rebounded off the front rim and went in.

4. There was a lot of discussion on social media about the Celtics blowing another double-digit lead, but that doesn't seem like a legitimate concern at this point. Fans rightly become irritated when a seemingly secure lead disappears, but how many times will it take in the NBA this season for us to realise that leads aren't actually safe any more? A 15-point lead isn't much in this era where 3-pointers are more valued (and effective) than ever.

5. With 16 games left in the season, the Celtics have now tied a franchise record for overtime games.

6. Pritchard played 16 minutes, but he looked to injure himself on the final play of regulation and staggered off the court. Pritchard has mostly been out of the rotation, probably because the Celtics are putting together their playoff lineups. Team doctors from the Cavs came to see him in the locker room.

7. The upcoming weeks are crucial for the Celtics, not just in their quest to retain the No. 1 seed (which is currently eroding a bit), but also in their efforts to right the ship as the postseason draws near.

Malcolm Brogdon talked about the significance of the impending six-game road trip.

There is clearly a sense of urgency, and, in my opinion, it has less to do with the playoffs than it does with the upcoming road trip, according to Brogdon. We definitely need to defeat Portland so that we can depart Boston on a high note and begin the road journey on a positive note, I just told Blake. These are the six away teams that we should and must defeat. It really is that easy. Thus, winning every game is the objective and the expectation.