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Not a lot could be mentioned concerning the Boston Celtics that hasn’t been mentioned earlier than. The Miami Heat have outdueled, outclassed, and out-hustled the Celtics by way of the primary three video games of the Japanese Convention Finals and in the event that they don’t win tomorrow night time, they’ll be out of the playoffs.
However Game 3 was the worst of the bunch. With their season successfully on the road, the Celtics did worse than merely disappear. As a substitute, they confirmed up with a lackluster effort on either side of the ball, paving Miami’s highway to the NBA Finals brick by brick. Actually.
“I don’t even know the place to begin. An apparent letdown,” mentioned Jaylen Brown. “I really feel like we let our fanbase [and] group down. We let ourselves down. And it was collective. We are able to level fingers, however, in actuality, simply embarrassing.”
After every disappointing loss this postseason, the Celtics have vowed to enhance. They’ve saved their eyes ahead, selecting to give attention to the long run moderately than dwelling on the previous.
For essentially the most half, that’s an excellent technique. There’s no level in sulking. However whereas the Celtics shouldn’t stay prior to now, they should study from it.
That’s what they’ve did not do.
“As robust as it’s, as tonight was, we simply obtained to attempt to transfer on,” mentioned Jayson Tatum. “Put together, prepare, follow, movie, and stuff for tomorrow. Clearly, we’re in a tricky place, however we simply obtained to have some pleasure, bounce again, and simply be higher come Tuesday.”
“We simply need to be higher” has been a standard trope for the Celtics post-loss. It’s change into their motto after each bump within the highway.
In idea, it’s precisely what must be mentioned. There’s not a lot else the Celtics can say. However they haven’t been higher, they haven’t discovered from their errors, they usually proceed to maneuver ahead with the identical inexcusable lack of effort that results in their downfall.
After placing collectively two stable showings in Video games 1 and a couple of, Tatum wilted in Recreation 3, failing to stay as much as his famous person standing.
“We’re going to attempt to get our guys prepared for the subsequent sport,” mentioned Brown. “And we’ll come out, and we’ll put our greatest foot ahead. And on the finish of the day, that’s what we obtained to do. That’s simply how I see it. The sequence isn’t over but.”
All through the course of NBA historical past, groups are 0-149 when down 0-3 in a playoff sequence. Whereas Brown is technically right, that is as over because the sequence probably may very well be with out assembly the literal requirement of the phrase.
And once more, preparing for the subsequent sport solely issues when one is prepared to study from their errors.
Brown has put collectively a putrid sequence. Game 1 noticed him put collectively an environment friendly night time however make numerous errors that led to 6 turnovers. Game 2 was a disastrous effort for him on either side of the ball, as he selected to tunnel-vision to the rim and name his quantity repeatedly. And in Recreation 3, it was extra of the identical.
“I believe crucial factor is simply sticking collectively,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned post-game. “After which I’ve to be higher. I obtained to place them in higher positions. I obtained to get them able to play.”
Clearly, it’s essential that the Celtics stick collectively, however as soon as once more, the “we’ve to be higher” excuse rears its ugly head.
Mazzulla isn’t on the court docket enjoying. The Celtics have to put within the effort in that regard, they usually merely haven’t. However the head coach has been removed from good this sequence.
From not together with Derrick White and Robert Williams within the closing lineups of Recreation 2 (once they had been the second and third-best gamers on the court docket) to not testing out new lineups in Recreation 3 when shooters went chilly to failing to implement a profitable defensive construction, Mazzulla has been outcoached by Erik Spoelstra. By a mile.
All we are going to hear from the Celtics is “we’ve to be higher.” However there isn’t any future to be higher in anymore. The time is now.
Extra precisely, the time has handed.
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