On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, JJ Redick and Tim Legler talk in-depth about the Boston Celtics falling short in Game 7 to the Miami Heat.
0:00 What went wrong for the Celtics in Game 7?
1:30 JJ’s take on Jayson Tatum’s early injury
6:30 How much blame Joe Mazzulla deserves
11:40 Should the Celtics have attacked the basket more early on?
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36 Comments
Nah this was coaching
Celtics should be ashamed of themselves
With all respect to Coach J.Maz that did an outstanding job in this playoff… I’m agree with Tim, they weren’t good against Heat’s Zone specially in game 7..
Also nobody except Stan Van Gundy, hasn’t mentioned why he puts Al and J.T, out of the court and makes the team big with putting both Williams inside against their aggressive matchup in final 4 minutes of the first quarter?
They just gained more turnovers and missing shots.
I’m not agree with U JJ, actually idk about the shape shifting Zone but it was a 2-3 zone with a player on the ball (like 1-1-3) with switching on ball screens and against the overload they’ve changed it to matchup by chasing the cutter..
Best way to crash is, to force them to rotate specially with DHO and PoP..
Scottie Pippen is the GOAT
Stephen A. merely repeated what had been said by Reddick and Legler but sounded as if he's the genius who figured it all out.
It didn’t even look like his ankles were taped judging by how easily it rolled.
“Kids arent smart enough” JJ is so smug
How does Jaley Brown get a pass EVERY. Yall didn't want him to be traded because yall couldn't see the issues of having your two best players with the same skill sets. And now the Celtics have to pay him 300M because you can no longer get Dame straight up for Brown. You can't get Poole and Klay. maybe you can get Middletown? But he doesn't move the needle for Boston.
Buck Foston
Jaylen Brown because he was healthy, there's just no way he was a beast last year and not continuing it this year then you got the refs siding with the Heats getting calls and giving the momentum to them for most part of the game.
J.Tatum got Pachulaed by Gabe Vincent in the 1st Quarter
Legs knowledge of the game is on another level.
Mazzulla is a weirdo.
nah, Boston jacking up all those 3's even they are not falling is the stupiediest thing I have ever seen in a Game 7
Issue is why did Tatum getting hurt cost the Celtics the game despite having one of the deepest benches in the league. The C's were beaten by two undrafted bench players in Martin/Vincent while the Celtics starters couldn't land a shot.
Mazzulla absolutely is to blame for that. Spoelstra's team is ready to play, his role players know how to succeed and Joe's don't. This rookie coach is a one trick pony, gotta shoot more threes, and if that fails he has no answer.
I admit, Mazzulla didn't seem to coach very well throughout the series. But technically, if we're just stating the facts, Udoka only took the Celtics 3 games further in the post season last year than Mazzulla did this year.
It shouldn't have even reached game 7 in the first place. Heat were simply better, period
Tim told Celts what they need to beat the zone and Stephen A ask should they get the ball in the paint
Repent to Jesus Christ “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21 NIV
H
no this one was on the players. heat are not so great as you would assume. they are going to finals to lose simple as that.
Jaylen Brown is messing with a very attractive heaux. He didn’t play like this in the playoffs ever he gets with her and this is what happened. I know she’s an older very fine cougar but JB-let her go. She wouldn’t talk to you if you was working at Arby’s
why’s stephen A making excuses for celtics instead of praising miami. this guy always got favourites and it’s so clear.
To much this and that if gabe vincent didn't get hurt it would not reach happen game 7 thats it.
Steven A is looking hard for excuses… QUESTION – What is the injury report for Miami in this series and.. The entire Playoffs???
Mazzulla definitely holds most of the blame imo, you can’t just keep jacking up 3’s all game hoping they’ll fall. It’s game 7 you’re the coach it’s your job to make the proper adjustments to give your team a chance
Brad Stevens had a worse record and lost in the semis in 2019 with a better roster (Tatum, Brown, Kyrie, Smart, a younger Horford, Marcus Morris, Rozier, Theis), and I don't recall any of these "experts" calling for his head
The Miami Heat have a 3% chance of reaching the NBA Finals, according to ESPN Analytics
— Fire this clown. ESPN always sucks
You live and die with the 3
Bro, Celtics have floundered a championship away for 5 years. Not Mazullas fault.
I think Joe Mazulla was in over his head and was thrust into an impossible situation. He showed grit and accepted blame after game 3 loss those are the positives.
Boston need hired J.J Reddick as their new head coach lol
Retain Mazulla but as of right NOW not head coach material. Btw I love Joe !
All of you clowns blaming tatum for getting injured never played. He stayed on the floor give him credit you fools.
How abt u actually talk abt the winning team, and how good they have been
The one criticism I have of the Celtics (and I was rooting for Miami) is that with Tatum hurt and Jalen Brown having an awful game, they didn't go to other players down the bench who might have come up big given that once in a lifetime chance. If I were one of the guys who never got a chance in this situation, I'd want to be traded, because it was obvious that the players who could normally be depended on to deliver just didn't have it that night, and it was a last chance situation.