If there was ever a day to rip the Boston Celtics this year, Thursday, February 1, was it. The Celtics, owners of the best record in the NBA, hosted the struggling Los Angeles Lakers, a team that played without their two biggest stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
As expected, it was a mismatch from the opening tap, but what wasn’t expected is that the Lakers dominated the game. After LA’s 114-105 victory, TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal said the Celtics aren’t championship-ready. At halftime, Charles Barkley turned against the Celtics, saying he was “almost off their bandwagon.”
Charles Barkley Said the Celtics Aren’t Tough
“I’m almost off their bandwagon… They don’t win on toughness and defense.”
Chuck sounds off on the Celtics’ first-half performance
Without James and Davis, it was shocking to see the Lakers ease their way to victory. The Celtics played as if they’d win just by showing up. The Lakers played with a purpose.
LA jumped out to a 60-46 halftime lead and never looked back. During the halftime break, Barkley, who recently said the Celtics were going to win the championship, called them out for their lack of toughness.
“I’m almost off their bandwagon,” Barkley said of the Celtics. “I watched them twice against elite teams the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, I wanted to watch them play the Denver Nuggets. Denver went in there and spanked them. The Clippers come in, those are the two best teams in the West.
“(Clippers coach) Tyronn Lue said something interesting. He said Paul George wasn’t going to play tonight, but he wanted to send the Celtics a message in case they play them in the Finals. And they stomped them.
“Now, I’m looking at tonight. They win games on talent. They don’t win on toughness and defense. The one thing you have to be as a great player — and this is on Tatum and Brown. You have to be tough. The team’s going to play like their best player. Brown and Tatum are great players, but they’re nice guys. I never met a great player who was a really, really nice guy.”
Shaq Joins Barkley in Ripping the Celtics
“Without LeBron and AD, [the Celtics] are supposed to be up by 30. … This is why they’re not championship-ready yet.”
@Shaq on Boston’s first-half vs. Lakers
Barkley made some good points about there being cause for concern in Boston. After starting the season with a record-setting 20 straight home wins, the Celtics have lost three of their last five games at TD Garden.
O’Neal, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer who won four NBA titles, knows what it takes to win a championship. He said the Celtics aren’t there yet.
“I can remember Phil Jackson coming into the locker room and saying, ‘Don’t let the first place fool you. You guys are still not ready for a championship,'” Shaq said postgame. “That’s what I feel about Boston.
“You’re supposed to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. Without LeBron and AD, these guys are supposed to beat them by 30, but you’re playing down to the level of competition. You’re not having that killer instinct. You were just loosey-goosey with the ball.
“When you have that championship mentality, it doesn’t matter who’s on the court. We have to beat you. This team right here was supposed to beat this team but this is why they are not championship-ready yet.”
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Charles Barkley, Shaq Rip Celtics After Embarrassing Loss: ‘Not Championship-Ready’