The Celtics Poor Late Game Execution Just Blew Another Golden Opportunity And Gave The Warriors Life

Garrett Ellwood. Getty Images.

With everything right in front of them, an opportunity to truly but the Golden State Warriors on life support, the Boston Celtics decided to do the opposite. They gave them life. The one thing they couldn't do, they did. Sure it wasn't going to be easy, but make no mistake about it, the Celts had every opportunity to win this game. Even as we got into the fourth quarter. They led by as much as 5 points with 6 minutes left. Instead, it was Steph Curry and the Warriors who closed this game like they wanted to win the NBA title. The Warriors who had been brutal in every fourth quarter of this series won the final frame 28-19. They played harder, they attacked the offensive glass, and when it came time to close the door, Steph did just that. 

The thing is, my issue is more about how the Celts closed this game. With the game in the balance with around 4:16 left, this is what their ensuing offensive possessions looked like

They went into prevent offense, which does them in pretty much every single time. It was 95-94 at the start of that run. Nothing at the rim is inexcusable in that situation given everything on the line. Where was the aggression? We talk all the time that to beat the Warriors, it isn't just about shot making, it's taking the right shots. Shot quality is so fucking important and the Celts shot quality down the stretch of this game was complete dogshit. In no way should the Warriors play harder than this team in a 1 point game entering the 4th quarter, but that's how it felt. They imposed their will and played with force while the Celts sort of panicked.

When it came time for the stars to step up, Jayson Tatum had a tough time delivering. He went just 1-5 for 3 points in the 4th quarter and shot just 8-23 overall in the game. Pretty shitty time to lay an offensive egg in my humble opinion. Jaylen did what he could to give this team life and it looked like he was going to carry them over the finish line, but then he just stopped getting the ball. A brutal TO didn't help, and now all the pressure swings back onto this team. For whatever reason they refuse to not make things harder on themselves. It's uncanny really. 

With how they started, they even survived a 3rd quarter and only lost it by 6, they closed by shooting 33/30% with 13 of their 21 FGA in the final quarter coming from deep. That's losing basketball, especially when you can't hit shit and Steph fucking Curry is on the other end. Whether it was a lack of adjustments from Ime or a lack of recognition from the players, either way it was a disaster way to close the biggest game of the season which again, you had every opportunity to win.

Now we once again must rely on their resiliency. They're going to have to win again on the road in this series to win the NBA title, so you may as well do it in Game 5. You had an opportunity to step on the Warriors throats and you sneaky choked it away. Building off wins still seems to be a problem, and now you have to deal with a confident Warriors team riding momentum back to a building where they've only lost once all postseason.

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Lots of basketball to be played, but I can't help think of what a massive blown opportunity this was. Just can't close a game like that and think you're going to win. We learned that in December.