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The Boston Celtics suffered a hammer blow in their game-three loss to the Miami Heat on May 21.
During their loss, the Celtics appeared to surrender mid-way through the third quarter before head coach Joe Mazzulla pulled the starters for the final 12 minutes of play. After Miami had registered their third straight win of the series, former Los Angeles Lakers guard Magic Johnson took to Twitter to share his shock at Boston’s capitulation.
“In my 44 years of being associated with the NBA, I never thought I’d see a Boston Celtics team, a franchise with 17 Championships, quit. I know Celtics fans all over the world must be disgusted and devastated. The Miami Heat blew them out 128-102 in Game 3,” Johnson Tweeted.
The Celtics are now just one game away from their season coming to an abrupt end, as the Heat continue to shock the NBA world following their unlikely charge to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Joe Mazzulla Takes Blame for Celtics Loss
When speaking to the media following Boston’s latest defeat, Mazzulla took the blame for his team’s performance, noting how he hadn’t prepared them correctly – a move that will ensure he continues to receive criticism from the fanbase.
“I just didn’t have them ready to play,” Mazzulla said. “Whatever it was, whether it was the starting lineup, whether it was an adjustment, I have to get them in a better place and ready to play. That’s on me…“It’s where I have to be better to figure out what this team needs to make sure that they’re together, they’re connected, and they’re physical by the time we step out on this floor.”
Boston will now need to win four straight games in order to progress to the NBA Finals. However, the Celtics will need to be better prepared and willing to execute Mazzulla’s game plan if they’re going to stand a chance of clawing their way back into their Eastern Conference showdown.
Jaylen Brown Labels Loss Embarrassing
Jaylen Brown has struggled to make a significant impact during the Celtics’ current series against Miami. In three games, Brown is averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 37.7% from the field and 10% from deep.
Yet, when addressing the media as part of his post-game press conference, Brown was quick to provide an assessment of Boston’s overall performance, labeling it as embarrassing.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Brown said. “It’s an obvious letdown. I feel like we let our fanbase (and) organization down. We let ourselves down. And it was collective. We can point fingers, but in reality, it was embarrassing.”
The Celtics will now be gearing up for game four of their series against Miami, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23. However, with their season on the line and the fact that the Heat hasn’t lost at the Kaseya Center in the postseason, there is mounting pressure on their shoulders.
After all, this is the same Miami team that struggled to qualify for the playoffs after finishing the regular season as the eighth seed, and now, the Celtics are at risk of being swept.
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