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The Boston Celtics' 128-102 loss in Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday has garnered a lot of criticism. That includes NBA superstar Magic Johnson, who bemoaned the Celtics 'quitting', considering their storied history.
The 17-time NBA champions were handed one of their worst playoff losses in franchise history and are now on the verge of being swept. It goes without saying that this is a real horrible look for a team that was runner-up last year and were the second-seed heading into the playoffs this year.
Boston's effort after the second quarter on Sunday waned as they failed to execute their offensive schemes, making for a disappointing state of events. LA Lakers star Johnson, who faced Boston several times in his career, lamented:
"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 128-102 out in Game 3."
Johnson's history with the Celtics is heated, to say the least. Despite a generational rivalry with Larry Bird paving the way for some brilliant basketball, the Lakers legend also has immense respect for Boston.
Following their underwhelming effort in Game 3, the C's now stare at the very real prospect of a series clean sweep.
The Celtics couldn't buy a bucket in Game 3
Boston have been a fairly solid offensive unit for most of the season. However, their offense practically crumbled in Game 3, as none of their players found their shooting range.
Boston shot an atrocious 39.8% from the field. To compound their misery, they also shot 26.2% from beyond the perimeter. It's shocking that they even made it above 100 points, given how poor these numbers look. Meanwhile, their defense was also in shambles, as Jimmy Butler and Gabe Vincent went to work.
Saying that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had a poor game would be an understatement. The C's collectively failed to rally in this crucial road game. The second seeds in the East will now hope to produce a better outing in Game 4 to avoid the ignominy of a clean sweep.
