Jay Williams questioned the Boston Celtics’ “venom” and “ardour” throughout their first-round NBA playoff collection in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks.
So, it ought to come as no shock the previous NBA level guard-turned-analyst as soon as once more was left scratching his head after the Celtics dropped Recreation 1 of their second-round collection in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday evening at TD Backyard.
James Harden scored 45 factors as Philadelphia overcame Joel Embiid’s absence to beat Boston 119-115, a reasonably beautiful growth that flips home-court benefit within the Sixers’ favor and raises further questions concerning the Celtics’ killer intuition.
“What a humiliation for the Celtics,” Williams stated Tuesday morning on ESPN’s “Keyshawn, JWill and Max.” “How pitiful. How ashamed. What humiliation for the Boston Celtics.
“The Crimson Sea has parted for the Celtics to win an NBA championship. The Nuggets and the Suns are beating the hell out of one another in a bodily collection. You will have the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors about to go head-to-head with LeBron (James) and Draymond (Inexperienced) and their friendship in Klutch Sports activities and Steph Curry. You’ve obtained the Miami Warmth and the New York Knicks within the Japanese Convention that you could run by. You had been simply within the NBA rattling championship final yr. And also you’re telling me that James Harden, with out Joel Embiid, the MVP of this season — I’m yelling I’m so rattling (ticked) off. With Paul Reed and PJ Tucker with zero factors on the ground, and also you’re telling your five-tool staff — with Jaylen Brown, a defensive stopper, with Marcus Good, Defensive Participant of the Yr, with Jayson Tatum, final yr who we noticed strap up Kevin Durant, with Al Horford — that staff can’t cease James Harden in pick-and-rolls once they’re in drop protection?”
The Celtics had been one of many NBA’s greatest groups all season. They completed second within the Japanese Convention, behind the Milwaukee Bucks, and nonetheless are favored to advance previous the 76ers, regardless that Philadelphia’s Recreation 1 victory brought about a noticeable change within the futures betting market. However Boston retains taking pictures itself within the foot, making it truthful to wonder if the staff has championship DNA.
It took six video games for the Celtics to eradicate the Hawks within the first spherical, an unsettling consequence for Boston given the perceived mismatch, and the second spherical clearly isn’t off to an awesome begin for the Inexperienced. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and firm want to step up Wednesday evening in Recreation 2 earlier than the best-of-seven collection to Philly for Video games 3 and 4, particularly since Embiid would possibly quickly be part of the fray and make life much more tough for Boston.