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Celtics React to Letting 12-Point Lead Slip in Fourth Quarter of Game 2 Loss to Heat: 'We Let Everybody Down'
The fourth quarter of Game 2 was a collective failure for the Celtics. They gave up four offensive rebounds, committed as many turnovers, and the Heat were in the bonus for more than half the frame.
On the heels of their 111-105 loss, head coach Joe Mazzulla stated, "If you have turnovers and offensive fouls, you're clearly not making the right play."
Making matters worse is that Boston's struggles went beyond the margins.
Jayson Tatum only took three shots and missed them all. Jaylen Brown went 1/5 and had three points. And Mazzulla stuck with Grant Williams for too long, and he played Al Horford more than Robert Williams and Marcus Smart more than Derrick White.
Usually, it's the first-year head coach's passivity that results in criticism when his team comes up short. Friday, his imprint on the final 12 minutes proved costly.
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Williams poked the bear that is Jimmy Butler, who scored nine of his 27 points after the former started chirping him on the heels of knocking down a three as Miami's star forward closed out to him.
Horford played 7:20 in the fourth quarter, attempting no shots and grabbing no rebounds. His only stats were two fouls. And he had a minus-eight plus-minus rating.
Conversely, Robert Williams, who was a part of Boston's best lineups, scored seven points in 4:33, and his on-ball defense against Bam Adebayo and his rim protection helped the hosts build a double-digit lead.
Post-game, Mazzulla told Inside The Celtics his reasoning for sticking with Horford over Robert Williams was "Al's finished every game."
Like the team's most senior member, Smart, who's dealing with chest, back, and leg injuries, did more to hurt than help Boston in the final frame, including missing a three and committing one of its four turnovers.
His backcourt mate, Derrick White, shot the ball well on Friday, making 4/6 field goals, including 3/5 threes, and finishing with 11 points. He's a target for Jimmy Butler to seek out on switches due to their size difference, but his play warranted more than 2:46 of the final 12 minutes.
After a defeat that puts the defending Eastern Conference champions down 0-2 as the series moves to Miami, the first-year head coach expressed that despite getting outscored 36-22 in the fourth quarter, including the Celtics manufacturing just seven points in the last five minutes, he "thought we got good looks."
Boston's bench boss also conveyed, "It comes down to the details and the margins. When we get a stop, when we force them into a difficult shot, we have to get the rebound."
Then he stated, "This is a series of discipline and mindset, and there were times throughout the game we weren't the more disciplined team."
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Like Mazzulla, Tatum, who registered a game-high 34 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, team-bests, approved of the shots the hosts created by driving and kicking but said, "We have film and stuff tomorrow to see things we can do better."
He later expressed, "We've got to do a better job of making those -- I would call them winning plays."
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Jaylen Brown, who finished with 16 points on 7/23 shooting, expressed, "They outplayed us. They out-toughed us tonight. And they found a way to make plays down the stretch, and we didn't."
And with the Celtics trailing 0-2 in the series as they travel to South Beach, Brown said they "have no choice" but to maintain their confidence.
"Shake it off. Obviously, we led two games on our home court. We let our fanbase down. We let everybody down. But we still have opportunities in front of us."
Further Reading
Marcus Smart Defends Joe Mazzulla's Strategy After Game 1 Loss to Miami Heat
Celtics Address 'Letting Go of the Rope' After Game 1 Loss to Heat
Jaylen Brown Discusses Whether Making an All-NBA Team Provides Clarity About His Future
