The Celtics knew that their miraculous Game 6 victory wouldn’t have mattered in the event that they didn’t comply with it up with a memorable efficiency. Their resilience to reply with three consecutive victories to drive an unthinkable Game 7 wouldn’t have mattered in the event that they didn’t end the job.
The Celtics weren’t celebrating Saturday evening in Miami. Jaylen Brown stated that win meant nothing in the event that they laid an egg Monday evening on their house flooring.
Then, that’s precisely what occurred.
One of the rowdiest house crowds in TD Garden historical past got here to anticipate the potential for witnessing historical past, hoping to see the Celtics change into the primary NBA staff to beat an 0-3 collection deficit and advance to the NBA Finals.
Instead, they had been historical past. Instead, boos adopted these Celtics into an extended, agonizing summer season after a painful 103-84 loss to the Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, one of the disappointing defeats in Boston sports activities historical past.
“We failed. I failed,” Brown stated. “We let the whole city down.”
They discovered there’s a cause why no staff has ever finished the inconceivable. These Celtics got here this far simply to return this far.
The first three video games of this collection uncovered the Celtics’ biggest weaknesses. They lived and died an excessive amount of by 3-pointers, crumbling with a 9-for-42 effort. Their protection was too inconsistent. There had been too many turnovers. Too many lapses. They coated them up with resilient, unbelievable performances in Games 4-6. But Game 7 uncovered them for who they actually had been.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t get our results,” Al Horford stated. “We failed. We failed. Because we wanted to win a championship. That was our goal. But despite that I’m very proud of that group because there was never any excuse.”
Monday evening didn’t begin effectively, and the Celtics by no means recovered. Jayson Tatum damage his ankle on the primary play of the sport, and by no means seemed the identical. The C’s missed their first 12 3-point makes an attempt of the evening. The Celtics trailed by 17 within the second quarter. They continued to be torched by Caleb Martin, who had 26 factors and can hang-out the Celtics of their nightmares all through this summer season. Brown saved committing dangerous turnovers, and completed with eight of them.
Tatum injured his ankle on the primary play of the sport, when he was fouled taking a shot however landed awkwardly, badly rolling his left ankle. He stayed within the recreation, however was clearly in ache. He continued to play via it, however was very restricted, noticeably limping and hobbling all through the evening.
Tatum scored one level within the first quarter. He completed with 14. In one of many largest video games of his life, when the Celtics wanted him at his greatest, Tatum couldn’t give them a lot.
“It was just frustrating that I was kind of like a shell of myself,” Tatum stated. “It was tough to move. Just frustrating. Especially it happening on the first play.”
With their celebrity damage, the C’s wanted their different star to step up. But Brown wasn’t at his greatest. Tatum’s damage appeared to create a domino impact, because the offense acquired stagnant. They scored simply 15 factors within the first quarter and the offense put them in a deep gap. It put an excessive amount of strain on their protection, which couldn’t cease Martin, Jimmy Butler or a number of different Heat gamers from answering every time the Celtics had a uncommon second of life.
Brown completed with simply 19 factors on 23 pictures. He made as many area targets (8) as he had turnovers. The Celtics, as nice as they seemed within the earlier three video games, fell again to earth in crushing style. The Heat sensed vulnerability and pounced, and by no means let up as they celebrated a visit to the NBA Finals.
“Just a terrible game,” Brown stated. “When my team needed me most, like J.T. hurt his ankle, first play of the game, and you could see it like swelling up on him. He couldn’t move out there. It was tough for him. My team turned to me to make plays and I came up short, I failed. It’s tough. I give credit to Miami, but just a terrible job.”
The Heat stayed in management all evening regardless of the Celtics’ greatest effort within the third quarter fueled by Derrick White.
Just like he did with an enormous Game 5 efficiency, after which once more together with his profitable tip-in in Game 6, White did his greatest to avoid wasting the Celtics’ season.
The Celtics trailed by 16 early in third after their horrific first half however White didn’t allow them to go away quietly. With Tatum hobbled, they wanted White. He delivered similar to the opposite video games. He scored eight consecutive factors – two free throws, a 3-pointer after which a three-point play – to chop their deficit to eight because the C’s regained life.
The Heat responded, rebuilding their result in 13 with a 3-pointer from Max Strus halfway via the third. But then the Celtics picked up their defensive depth. They proceeded to carry the guests scoreless for practically 4 minutes, however they may by no means recover from the hump. They couldn’t get the deficit nearer than seven after White made considered one of two free throws, or when Grant Williams made a 3-pointer.
Martin saved on answering. Inside the ultimate minute of the third, he made two powerful jumpers to maintain the Celtics behind by 10.
It unraveled for the Celtics to begin the fourth. Martin drilled one other 3-pointer, then Brown dedicated his sixth and seventh turnovers that led to back-to-back buckets for Butler. The Celtics had been hopeless once more with the deficit again to 17. There was not one other comeback to be made. They couldn’t end the final word comeback.
Boos rained down on the Celtics, and deflated followers headed to the exits after an enormous letdown.
Despite falling wanting expectations, the Celtics left the Garden happy with the season they put collectively. They confronted nice adversity in September, with the sudden dismissal of coach Ime Udoka simply days earlier than coaching camp. They pushed via the emotional toll that took as they rallied behind first-year coach Joe Mazzulla, who took his lumps as a rookie.
After coming two wins wanting a championship final season, the Celtics used that as gasoline as they overcame tough circumstances. They remained a championship favourite due to their expertise. There had been apparent flaws, however their resilience was their biggest power and pushed them to the brink of one other NBA Finals look.
“When we were down 3-0, the thing was how do we want to be defined?” Mazzulla stated. “I thought they showed a lot of character by even getting to this point.”
But it solely took them up to now. Ultimately, they couldn’t overcome their evident weaknesses and imperfections. They couldn’t full their so-called unfinished enterprise. And now, an extended summer season of questions and ready for the following alternative awaits.
“You take it on the chin,” Brown stated. “You be taught from it. As arduous as this one is true now to swallow, you get higher. It’s a troublesome one. Tough one. Tough one for me. Tough one for our staff. Tough one for our group. Extremely dangerous timing.
“You just, you learn. That’s a part of the journey. This is not the end. We got a lot better to get, a lot of better basketball to play and you just got to look at it like that. But tough night.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com