Jayson Tatum hampered by ankle as Celtics fail to make historical past

BOSTON — After Jayson Tatum trudged to the rostrum inside TD Backyard lengthy after the Boston Celtics noticed their season come to an finish with a 103-84 loss in Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention finals, there was a visual limp from the sprained ankle he suffered on the opening play of the sport.

“It was simply irritating that I used to be … a shell of myself,” Tatum mentioned after he performed 42 minutes and completed with 14 factors on 5-for-13 capturing within the loss, which ended the Celtics’ season and in addition denied them the chance to become the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit.

“It was powerful to maneuver. Simply irritating, it occurring on the primary play.”

There was a lot for the Celtics to be pissed off about, starting with Tatum having the unhealthy luck of touchdown on Warmth guard Gabe Vincent on the primary possession of the sport. However that was removed from the one factor.

The Celtics adopted up their worst capturing sport of the season (7-for-35) in Sport 6, by capturing 9-for-42 in Sport 7 to equal their second-worst capturing efficiency of the season. Boston performed seven video games this season through which it shot underneath 26% from 3-point vary, and Sport 6 was the one one the Celtics got here away from with a win.

In the meantime, Boston watched as Caleb Martin continued his series-long assault on their protection, going 11-for-16 and scoring 26 factors, whereas Japanese Convention finals MVP Jimmy Butler contributed 28 factors, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and three steals.

The Warmth shot 14-for-28 from 3-point vary Monday night time and had been 28-for-58 over the ultimate two video games of the collection.

“We obtained punked,” Celtics ahead Grant Williams instructed ESPN. “We did not play our sport from begin to end. Defensively, we simply misplaced all of it, after which offensively we had been scrambled and making an attempt to do all the things ourselves and simply did not go our manner.

“You hate to have that be the tip of your season, particularly with the battle that we have proven. However pictures did not fall both, so that did not assist … it is simply powerful.”

It was a powerful thud of an ending to a season that entered Memorial Day with sky-high expectations, after the Celtics had recovered from blowing the primary two video games of the collection right here at dwelling, after which getting blown out in Sport 3 in Miami, with three straight spectacular performances to maneuver to the brink of historical past.

However after Derrick White‘s exceptional putback on the buzzer gave the Celtics a magical push right into a do-or-die Sport 7, it appeared their luck ran out.

Even after Tatum sprained his ankle, Boston was off to a fast begin, taking an early 9-4 lead. However then the Celtics saved lacking … and lacking … and lacking. And Miami responded with an 11-2 run and by no means appeared again, ending the quarter up 22-15.

Boston by no means obtained nearer than that 7-point margin the remainder of the sport.

“(We had been) lacking pictures, after which they’re coming down and hitting pictures,” Marcus Smart mentioned. “It places a number of strain on our protection to get stops. They usually had been hitting some pictures and so they obtained in a rhythm and we weren’t making ours.”

Jaylen Brown, in the meantime, had a dreadful sport, ending with 19 factors on 8-for-23 capturing to go together with 8 turnovers, as his repeated forcing of the motion offensively was symbolic of how Boston’s complete night time performed out.

Now, the Celtics head into the offseason after falling in need of a return journey to the NBA Finals — one thing the crew had acknowledged as its purpose going all the best way again to final June’s Sport 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors — and should determine the place to go from right here.

Coach Joe Mazzulla could have a full offseason of preparation — one thing he did not have heading into his first season, after being positioned within the job days earlier than the beginning of coaching camp after his predecessor, Ime Udoka, was suspended for violations of crew guidelines.

Each Tatum and Brown praised Mazzulla for the way he dealt with the yr.

“I give Joe my respect,” Brown mentioned. “Robust state of affairs to be in. And he took it and he took it head on and ran with it. We had two rookie head coaches within the final two years, and Joe selecting up from Ime as an interim beginning off after which progressing as being the top coach, simply absolutely took that problem on and led us thus far. That is a tricky place for a man to be in. It is a powerful place for a crew to be in, coming off of a Finals run, however we did not make any excuses and I am not making any excuses now.

“We got here up brief. However I nonetheless give my respect to our teaching workers and that group that we had on the ground.”

As for his future, Brown — who’s eligible to signal a five-year, $295 million supermax extension this summer season after making second-team All-NBA — mentioned he wasn’t positive about his thought course of heading into the summer season.

“I do not even actually know tips on how to reply that query proper now, to be trustworthy,” Brown mentioned. “My thought course of is take it sooner or later at a time, give attention to getting higher. Concentrate on what the longer term holds and see the place we’re from there.”

White, in the meantime, mentioned he will get an MRI on his left leg after injuring it within the second half.

“I imply, I will be nice,” White mentioned. “I am not too nervous about it. However I am going to discover out extra tomorrow.”

Total, the Celtics left TD Backyard with a way of remorse. After a 57-win common season, advancing to the East finals for a fifth time in seven seasons, and climbing all the best way again from a 3-0 gap, their season fell 5 wins in need of elevating an 18th banner to the rafters.

And whereas each Mazzulla and the gamers raved about their group’s toughness, it wasn’t sufficient to make historical past Monday.

“You may’t undergo life speaking about what you would have, it’s best to have carried out,” Tatum mentioned. “S— occurs and the previous is the previous.

“We fought like hell to provide ourselves an opportunity right this moment. Simply not the result that we anticipated.”