Getty Images The Boston Celtics bench reacts in the final minutes of the second half of their 127-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks
For most Boston Celtics fans, hearing NBC Sports Boston’s TV announcer Mike Gorman air his grievances with the team, and specifically, All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, was surprising — of course, coming from the soft-spoken veteran broadcaster — but also refreshingly satisfying.
In the city of champions, passionate sports fans hold their stars accountable. So, when Gorman pointed out the flaws he sees in Tatum and Brown and with vigor, magnified them for disappointing Celtics fans, on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Wednesday morning.
Mike Gorman: ‘I Don’t Think It’s Brad Stevens’ Fault’
Gorman, who mentioned the notion of seeing the Celtics fire Brad Stevens would be a mistake, made it clear that he doesn’t believe any blame for Boston’s recent slump should rest on the head coach.
“I don’t think it’s Brad Stevens’ fault,” Gorman said. “I think as a coach, he’s doing what he’s done, all along. They’ve made him one of the better coaches in the game. Celtics would be crazy to get rid of him right now. But, more importantly, we need these two guys to come back from the All-Star break and stop thinking in individual terms, stop thinking about the numbers that they’re getting and start looking at the wins and the losses.”
The 2021 NBA All-Star Game could turn out to be a very beneficial trip for the Celtics duo.
“Start looking at how many assists you pile up in the game,” Gorman added. “The Celtics should have between 25-30. Instead, the number is usually around 15-16. This team just needs to be more unselfish and I think they start at the top. And the top right now is Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and they need to respond. They can go have their weekend in Atlanta.
“They can go play that game but when they come back to business here in Boston, they can start thinking about winning games and not getting numbers.”
But, unfortunately, those same fans were beside themselves, yet again, as they took in another L, Wednesday night. The Celtics, a team that’s continuing to write its name in the NBA’s history books for all the wrong reasons, found themselves on the receiving end of a 3-point-shooting spree against the Atlanta Hawks.
Hawks Rout Celtics In Franchise Record-Breaking Fashion
For the first time in franchise history, the Celtics surrendered a record-breaking 23 3-pointers in a 127-112 loss in Atlanta. And there were two main culprits — Danilo Gallinari and Trae Young — doing most of the damage from deep.
Gallinari, who set a new Hawks franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a single game, connected on 10 threes en route to a game-high 38 points. He was on fire; Danilo finished 13-of-16 from the floor, including 10-of-12 from deep.
Young was responsible for five threes (5-of-11) on his way to 33 points on 12-of-23 attempts. The game was destined for the Hawks — who led by 27 points in the second quarter — as they held a comfortable lead throughout the night.
The 15-point gap is a poor reflection of what really happened Wednesday night; Atlanta dominated Boston pretty much from start to finish. Now, the Celtics will head home with hopes of bouncing back from their unprecedented — losers of 11 of their last 16 games — four-week skid.
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