The Boston Celtics needed a win in Game 3 against the Miami Heat but were instead embarrassed on the road and close to getting laughed out of the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics have not had a great time in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they had to face off against a Miami Heat team that eliminated the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round, and the New York Knicks in six games in the second round.
The Celtics notoriously don't play well at home in these past two playoff runs, and perform much better on the road. The problem is, the Heat are undefeated at home.
Could luck be on the side of the Celtics in Game 3 on Sunday?
That answer was a resounding no, as Boston was blown out by Miami by the score of 128-102. It wasn't a close game whatsoever, as the Celtics went into halftime trailing 61-46, and then were down 93-63 at the start of the fourth quarter.
NBA Twitter, well, didn't throw any soft punches Boston's way, as they were trolled relentlessly.
Celtics get roasted by NBA Twitter after embarrassing effort in Game 3 vs. Heat
Just how bad was it for the Celtics. Well, their starters of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Al Horford put up a total of 51 points. They were outscored by Miami's bench, which put up 55 points. Forward Duncan Robinson scored 22 points after making 7-of-11 field goal attempts and 5-of-7 three-point attempts. Caleb Martin, meanwhile, put up 18 points (7-of-11 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point).
Tatum did notch a double-double but put up just 14 points after making 6-of-18 of his shots from the field and making just 1-of-7 shots from behind the arc. Brown, meanwhile, scored 12 points after making 6-of-17 field goal attempts and missing all seven of his three-point shot attempts.
As if the Celtics' loss couldn't get any more embarrassing, Butler was able to throw a taunt back in the face of Horford. In Game 1, Horford threw up a timeout signal toward the Heat after making a three-pointer. In Game 3, Martin made a shot from behind the arc, and Butler threw that same timeout taunt back at Horford.
With this loss, the Celtics are in an 0-3 deficit. For Boston fans wondering if a team has ever successfully overcome this deficit in the NBA playoffs to win their series, the answer is no. Not a single team was able to win four straight playoff games when trailing 0-3.?
As for the Heat, they are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the second time in four years, with the chance to win their fourth Larry O'Brien trophy. Game 4 takes place on Tuesday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET, live on TNT.
