SI

Charles Barkley Trashed the Celtics and Their NBA Title Hopes Over One Big Issue

Andy Nesbitt

Charles Barkley is not a fan of the Boston Celtics' play on the offensive end of the court.
Charles Barkley is not a fan of the Boston Celtics' play on the offensive end of the court. /
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The Boston Celtics were able to punch their ticket back to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 113-98 Game 5 victory at home over the injury-depleted Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics, as he flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Celtics, who are the No. 1 seed in the East, will next face the winner of the Pacers-Knicks series, which New York leads, 3-2.

The Celtics have lost only two games so far this postseason, but Charles Barkley doesn't like what he's seeing from them on the offensive end of the court. The NBA great ripped Tatum and Co. during halftime of Game 5, saying the Celtics “are the worst offense I’ve seen for grown folks" and that they can't win a title playing the way they have been playing recently.

The Celtics, who lost to the Heat in last year's Eastern Conference finals, are now four wins away from returning to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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