Heavy Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics couldn't get it done in the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Hey, Boston Celtics fans, is it too soon to panic? It’s early December, and the Celtics have the best record in the Eastern Conference, yet there is a strong sense of discomfort. We’ve been here before, right?
The NBA season is a quarter of the way through, and the Celtics boast a 15-5 record. Only the Minnesota Timberwolves (15-4) have been better. Normally, five losses in 20 games are a reason for celebration, but getting eliminated in the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament might trigger some flashbacks for Celtics fans.
The Boston Celtics Couldn’t Win When It Counted — Again
The goal was to get to Las Vegas and then win it all, but the Indiana Pacers spoiled Boston’s plans. The Pacers capitalized on 17 Celtics turnovers and outscored Boston 37-23 in the third quarter in a 122-112 win that eliminated the Celtics from the inaugural tournament. The Celtics were the favorites to win the championship.
This isn’t unfamiliar ground for the Celtics.
A year ago, Boston scratched and clawed its way from a 3-0 deficit against the Miami Heat in the conference final. The Celtics hosted the eighth-seeded Heat in Game 7 with a raucous crowd behind them at TD Garden. They were nine-point favorites and one win away from making their second straight trip to the NBA Finals.
Instead, the Celtics saw the Heat shoot lights out from 3-point land (14-for-28), while Boston went 9-for-42 in a shocking 103-84 Miami victory.
Jaylen Brown failed to step up after Jayson Tatum injured his ankle in the opening minutes and hobbled his way through a 14-point effort. Brown shot 8-for-23 from the floor, including 1-for-9 from long range, and committed a whopping eight turnovers.
The postseason disappointment came one year after the Celtics blew a 2-1 series lead against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. In Game 4 at home, the Celtics saw Stephen Curry put up 43 points and 10 rebounds in a 107-97 victory. The Celtics never won again as the Warriors claimed the series in six games.
Is the In-Season Tournament Loss a Sign of Things to Come?
Celtics fans have every reason to be skeptical. With a pair of All-NBA players in Tatum and Brown surrounded by loads of talent, hope is high once again in Boston. No team in the NBA has a better top-six than Boston.
Tatum and Brown are arguably the league’s best duo, but the two have played seven seasons together and have yet to win a championship. They’ve reached the NBA Finals once. Brown recently inked a record supermax deal, and Tatum is next in line to break the bank.
The time to win is now.
The Celtics added veteran stars Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to the mix to help get Boston over the hump. The pressure to win is mounting, and the Celtics have proven that when the heat is on, they’re not at their best.
Boston played this tournament to win. The Celtics went all-out in a November 28 game against the Chicago Bulls to make sure they’d advance in the tournament. They talked about getting to Las Vegas and getting the job done.
They were favored against the Pacers. One more win would’ve sent them to the semifinals with a shot to become the NBA’s inaugural winner of the tournament. Instead, they wilted, just as they did in Game 7 against the Heat and just as they did in Game 4 against the Warriors.
Yes, it’s only December, and the Celtics are 15-5, but they’ve developed a pattern over the last several years that shows they can’t get it done when it counts most.