Life figured to be relatively easy for the Boston Celtics this season after winning last year's NBA title and bringing back the majority of their

There is no fear,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I'm actually more excited at this juncture of the season than I was at the beginning.”

Mazzulla says the pressure on the Celtics is coming from comparisons to Cavs and Thunder: "Oh, you're not as good because you're not them."

The Boston Celtics dropped their 13th game of the season to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, Jan. 19. Joe Mazzulla's team made some critical errors in the dying moments of overtime, allowing the Hawks to take control of the scoreboard and secure their second win of the season over the reigning champions.

During a recent news conference, the Celtics head coach discussed the difficulties and importance of finding minutes for younger players looking to improve their game. He explained the balancing act it takes and why it's a high priority for the team to ensure a pipeline is in place.

Derrick White has been one of the Celtics’ most consistent players this season, and his strong play for much of the year even ignited some early All-Star buzz. But he is currently in the midst of a rough shooting slump.

The power forward, who added 23 points, had been a doubt for the game with a left shoulder strain, and did not take many shots during the warm-up

This allowed the Hawks to grab the win behind a complete team effort. Boston was coming off a win over the Orlando Magic the previous night so fatigue may have set in. More news:

The Boston Celtics hope a recent trend continues when they tip off a four-game trip in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors in one of the featured games on the NBA's holiday card Monday afternoon.

After losing to the Hawks, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla made it clear that he's not scared of the challenges of the regular season.

The Celtics' fourth-quarter woes were again on display in the Hawks loss, including key execution errors down the stretch.