This ought to have been a lay-up. A get-to-the-next-round-free card.
The Celtics ought to have been on their solution to a date with Philadelphia after eliminating the short-handed Hawks.
It ought to have been one collection down, one opponent down, with a simple path forward to the promised land.
Only the Celtics weren’t capable of end off the collection. They blew the bunny, as they have been taken down at TD Garden, 119-117, by the Hawks in a recreation they might have simply knocked them out, and moved on.
And now there are extra questions than solutions. There is extra doubt within the Celtics than confidence after taking their foot off the fuel, and letting the Hawks again within the collection.
It’s virtually unforgivable for a so-called championship-driven staff to lose a possible knockout recreation like this.
The street is virtually paved for them to make it to the NBA Finals. And but, they shot themselves within the foot, dropping a possible series-clincher to a Hawks staff enjoying with out star Dejounte Murray, who was suspended for the sport after bumping an official on the finish of Game 4.
Even with a golden path forward, it’s nonetheless arduous to consider within the C’s given their incapacity to carry leads, and shut out video games. It’s arduous to belief this staff as a result of that’s the way it’s been a lot of the season.
Watching them Tuesday night time, they only don’t appear like they’re able to win a championship, a lot much less get there with a simple street.
They just about led the complete recreation earlier than crumbling within the fourth quarter.
Joe Mazzulla had no solutions. He was out-coached by Quin Snyder down the stretch.
It additionally didn’t assist that Jayson Tatum was ice chilly (8-for-22, 1-for-11 from three-point vary) and landed a technical within the closing minutes.
Jaylen Brown, who was sensational with 35 factors, couldn’t hit free throws (1-for-5), particularly down the stretch, lacking a pair with simply over seven minutes to go within the fourth quarter, with the Hawks creeping nearer.
Marcus Smart, in the meantime, couldn’t cease selecting up fouls within the fourth quarter, whereas Al Horford solely mustered three factors.
Add in the truth that nobody might guard Trae Young, who hit the game-winning three with 1.8 seconds to go. Mazzulla had Brown, not Smart or Derrick White, on Young (game-high 38 factors) throughout that ultimate possession.
The Celtics did have an opportunity with 1.8 seconds to go, however Tatum’s hurried heave missed and there was a way of deflation throughout TD Garden.
“We can’t change anything,” Tatum mentioned following the loss. “We just gotta do a really great job of moving on. It’s as simple as that.”
Only nothing is easy for this staff.
The C’s have been up by 13 with 9:32 to go and later by a dozen with lower than six minutes to go and nonetheless couldn’t shut out the Hawks.
Instead of going for the throat and placing the Hawks away, the offense went stagnant. Mazzulla mentioned they merely misplaced their tempo.
“I think we’ve just got to execute,” Mazzulla mentioned following the loss. “I thought we got some good shots, but I just didn’t think we executed the way we normally do down the stretch.”
Yup, they’d the collective collar round their necks, no less than, that’s the way it appeared.
This ought to have been NBA Finals or bust time for the Celtics.
Instead it’s fear time, even up 3-2 within the collection.
If they don’t advance, it’s on them. More to the purpose, in the event that they don’t attain the purpose the place they’ve an opportunity to handle “unfinished business” — their said playoff motto — it’ll be arduous responsible anybody else.
“If you don’t win, you don’t execute, then you lost your poise,” Mazzulla mentioned. “I don’t know if we were trying to do too much, I just didn’t think we were poised and just didn’t execute well.”
At the outset, the Celtics had a wounded opponent on the ropes with one win wanted to advance. And the sport was at dwelling, as well.
They knew they wanted to complete off Atlanta with out including extra video games to the collection. They knew that was key.
When it involves the playoffs, effectivity means so much. The Celtics know that greater than anyone.
Last yr, they saved including further video games into the combination earlier than eliminating opponents.
They did get to the NBA Finals, however didn’t have so much left within the tank to take care of Golden State.
After going up 3-1 within the collection after beating the Hawks in Atlanta, Tatum introduced up that very level. He mentioned the Celtics had realized their lesson from final yr’s expertise. They knew it behooved them to complete off the Hawks, and get some relaxation, earlier than taking over Philadelphia.
Guess the message wasn’t obtained.
On Tuesday night time through the potential close-out recreation, they blew numerous leads. They missed free throws. They saved heaving threes with a double-digit lead. They didn’t play sound protection. And now they’re headed again to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday after giving the Hawks life.
“We pride ourselves as players (making) the right play and adjustments,” mentioned Brown. “At times, we leave that up to the coaches to make that decision…We gotta be better overall as a team, coaching staff, & players on getting organized in those moments, whether we call timeouts or not.”
How can they flip the script?
“They know,” mentioned Mazzulla. “Just focus on what we did well, where we can get better, and just have an awareness to those details on both ends of the floor.”
That was the mission previous to Game 5, as nicely. Only they proceed to do issues the arduous approach.
Given how the dominoes are falling, particularly who’s harm, and who’s not, the Celtics wanted to win, and relaxation, versus head on a aircraft and ponder a turnaround in Game 6.
Sixers star Joel Embiid is injured, and has an enormous query mark over his head by way of his readiness for the subsequent collection.
He’s battling a knee damage, which is rarely good. But now he will get further relaxation.
Add within the top-seeded Bucks being on the ropes, making an attempt to win with Giannis Antetokounmpo additionally wounded, toughing it out with a foul again, and the C’s couldn’t be in higher form.
If they do finally advance, they won’t even must face the Bucks, who’re down 1-3 to the Miami Heat.
So it was all falling into place. Only the Celtics couldn’t do their half in a well timed trend. Instead, they’re sabotaging themselves and their journey forward.
Said Mazzulla: “We have one other alternative on Thursday, so I feel it’s a matter of getting perspective on the scenario after which studying after which simply rising by way of it. So we had a chance, and now we’ve got one other one. So now we simply must give attention to that.
Source: www.bostonherald.com