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Charles Barkley didn't hold back after the Boston Celtics' decimating loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Celtics got blown 103-84 on their home floor in the series decider. It was a surprising result considering the momentum they had heading into this contest.
The Celtics had fought valiantly to tie the series 3-3 after going down 3-0. With homecourt advantage on their side, Boston was expected to steamroll past the Heat, but that wasn't the case. In fact, they got outplayed by the Heat from the get-go.
Charles Barkley sounded off on the C's inconsistency that has bugged them throughout the playoffs, saying (via Legion Hoops):
“They played bad basketball. They're so undisciplined and unfundamentally sound. They win games strictly on talent.”
The Boston Celtics have consistently come up short in games they could've put to bed easily. They allowed the Atlanta Hawks to stretch the first-round series to six games while they nearly lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semis after failing to win Game 5 and going down 3-2 with Game 6 in Philly.
The shortcomings of their opponents played roles in Jayson Tatum and co. prevailing in those rounds. However, the Heat was way more disciplined and focused for most of the series, and the Celtics finally suffered the consequences of not maintaining their efficient play.
Charles Barkley shocked Miami Heat won by 20 points against Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat blew the Boston Celtics away in a series decided on the road, an outcome not many predicted. The Heat winning the contest was on the cards, but a 20-point old-fashioned blowout took everyone by storm, including former player-turned-analyst Charles Barkley.
Game 7 was expected to be a dogfight between the two East heavyweights, but the Celtics didn't have it in them. They committed 15 turnovers and looked listless on defense, allowing the Heat to get to their spots, something they had contained in Games 4, 5 and 6.
Charles Barkley continued his rant on the Boston Celtics, saying (via NBA on TNT):
"We never know how they [Boston] are gonna play. This is one of the most inconsistent talented teams I've ever been around. You got two guys who are All-NBA [Tatum and Brown], you got the Defensive Player of the Year [Smart], you got the 6th Man of the Year [Brogdon]... I'm not shocked they [Heat] won the game. I'm shocked they won by 20."
The Boston Celtics have made their own lives difficult during these playoffs. They were expected to do much better after gaining the experience of being in the Finals last season, but they failed to capitalize on that this year.
