Three thoughts on the Celtics’ calamitous 128-102 Game 3 loss to the Heat
Things are looking mighty precarious for the Boston Celtics right now following a devastating 128-102 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics now trail 3-0 in the series, a deficit that has never been overcome in NBA history.
The Celtics looked absolutely without answers Sunday evening. Boston’s defense was listless, though Miami deserves credit. As a team, the Heat shot 56.8% from the floor and 54.3% from the field. Though it was indeed an uninspired showing from the visiting team, Miami deserves credit for a relentless scoring attack. The Heat were dramatically the better team.
The Celtics may have looked flat in Game 3 and may be on the ropes in the series, but fans in Boston will no doubt remember the heroics of the 2004 Boston Red Sox. That year, the Red Sox lost the third game of the American League championship 19-8 before roaring back and winning the series in seven games.
Can this Celtics team recapture that same magic? For now, here’s your recap of Game 3 between Boston and Miami in the Eastern Conference finals.
The role of NBA centers and forwards has changed considerably since the early decades of the sport. https://t.co/yrUjgZzZFA
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 21, 2023
Boston's offense
Scoring was in short supply for the Celtics from the jump. Boston was cold from deep, and passing and playmaking looked rushed and awkward. By the second half, the Heat had built a 30-point lead, marking the fifth-worst postseason deficit in Celtics franchise history.
Once again, Miami’s aggressive defense knocked Boston out of rhythm. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were each forcing shots and making bad passes. All of this club’s offensive warts were on display as the Heat tightened the screws. To say the Celtics collapsed and collapsed early is far from hyperbole.
Credit Marcus Smart for providing some juice for an otherwise uninspired team. He even played alongside the bench players deep into garbage time. On a night where Boston looked out of gas from the very beginning of the game, at least Smart showed a flair for the passionate.
The Big Ticket leaves big impressions. https://t.co/0y5laCvWQs
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 21, 2023
Boston's defense
While the Celtics looked bad on offense, the team in green was dreadful on the defensive end. Orange traffic cones would have put up more resistance stopping Miami in the lane, while the Heat also shot the lights out. Boston’s approach on defense smacked of anxiety and discomfort, while the home team was dialed in.
The Heat have consistently shot the ball extremely well all series long, and much of their success deserves not much more than a hat tip. Still, this Celtics team has hung their own hats on the defensive end. That Boston would so visibly and completely let go of the rope here is astounding.
If Boston is going to mount a comeback this series, it will need to start on the defensive end. There isn’t a path where the Celtics win a single game this series with a defensive effort like this, let alone four of them.
Take a look at the Shuttlesworth Six, as we have decided to call them. https://t.co/2sUiZxAu3z
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 21, 2023
Looking ahead
Boston’s season is now fully on life support. Unless the Celtics complete the impossible, expect the 2022-23 campaign to come to a close in the next few days.
Big questions will loom large regarding Joe Mazzulla’s role as head coach. Likewise, Jaylen Brown’s possible contract extension will be widely discussed. It could be a big summer of change for Boston.
For now, the Celtics will strap in and seek to make history. That journey starts with Game 4 Tuesday night in Miami.
This is every player in Boston’s history who wore the Celtics’ No. 12 jersey for at least one game as of September 2022. https://t.co/yAyMwl2rKT
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 20, 2023
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