Celtics have only themselves to blame for Game 7 loss

[ad_1]

Brian Lewis

NBA

By Brian Lewis

May 30, 2023 | 00:30

The Celtics had a chance in history, but fell short. And they have no one to blame but themselves.

At home in Game 7 with a shot to be the first NBA team to knock down a 0-3 series holeshot, the Celtics spilled the beans in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat knocked them out, 103-84, and made history of their own by becoming only the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.

Whatever momentum the Celtics should have kept from their stunning victory in Game 6, they squandered it due to their shoddy play. They didn’t move the ball, didn’t run the ball away and their season low score led to a season-ending loss.

Words can’t really explain it. It’s tough, Boston guard Marcus Smart said. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season. Starting the season with, obviously, losing our coach and then getting a new one. Things weren’t always perfect for us, but we kept competing. We’ve been a bit inconsistent this year, but I’m still proud of how we fought. We just have to improve.

Boston should have been better. They had the home field advantage. Better health (until Jayson Tatum twisted his ankle). More talent.

But talent is not enough.

Jayson Tatum (L) and Jaylen Brown react during the Celtics’ loss to the Heat on May 29. USA TODAY Sports

Teamwork, temperament and tenacity prevailed Monday night at TD Garden. Witness Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin.

Playoff Jimmy is Miami’s leader. A year earlier to the day, the Heat had dropped a heartbreaking Game 7 on their home turf. But on Monday, they reversed the script.

They made us progress,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. Last year was extremely painful. We’ve been thinking about it all season.

And that clearly motivated them. After the Game 7 loss last year, Butler predicted that we were going to be back in the same boat and we were going to make it. And even after losing three straight in this series on the brink of ignominy, Butler guaranteed victory for Boston. And on Monday, he took both vows.

Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals to be named the series MVP. And that award could have gone to Martin, who was part of the Heats group of undrafted discoveries. He has 26 points, 10 boards and is hitting 4 of 6 from deep.

After not playing a single second in Game 7 last year, Martin was invaluable. He was solid defensively against Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and was Miami’s most consistent player throughout the series.

It might have surprised you, Butler said of Martin. To the untrained eye, he just looks like an undrafted guy who’s been in the G-League on a two-way contract. This is what it looks like for all of you. For us, he is a great player.

Jimmy Butler and the Heat celebrate after their Game 7 win over the Celtics on May 29. USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics have All-NBA players in Tatum and Brown, and a better roster. But they’ve been inconsistent all season under Joe Mazzulla, gave away games in those playoffs, and capitulated on Monday night.

Boston missed its first 12 3-point attempts and Mazzulla never found a way to make them look cleaner. When asked what was wrong, he replied: We shot 21% from 3. Pressed to know if they had become too dependent on 3-point shooting, he laconically replied No.

Whether Boston’s roster is the same next year, their top-to-bottom teamwork has to change. With TD Garden once a fortress, they have lost six home games in these playoffs, three in this series alone.

Yeah, it’s hard because this building for so many years has been so special. It’s very disappointing to lose these games here, said Al Horford.

For some reason, we sometimes let ourselves go home, thinking that everything is fine and that we are finding our way. It’s something to look at and make sure we change that home protection mindset, to be more aggressive. This is something we need to improve.

Load more…

{{#isDisplay}} {{/isDisplay}}{{#isAniviewVideo}} {{/isAniviewVideo}}{{#isSRVideo}} {{/isSRVideo}}

https://nypost.com/2023/05/30/celtics-only-have-themselves-to-blame-for-game-7-loss/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

Copy the URL to share

[ad_2]