The Celtics wasted little time in the wake of Monday’s attack at the Boston Marathon finish line before they cancelled Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.
In a radio interview on Tuesday, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck called it “an easy decision” that was made relatively quickly with the cooperation of the NBA.
“It was an easy decision for us to make together [with commissioner David Stern] as the evening unfolded,” Grousbeck said on Mut & Merloni. “As we learned about injuries and deaths, it wasn’t going to feel right to play a basketball game [Tuesday] just out of respect, and then out of diverting police resources in any way to playing a game. I’d rather, personally, have them able to work on the crime scene and help care for anybody who needs help in Boston, as opposed to helping patrol our game. It just didn’t feel right at all to be playing.”
The cancellation means the Celtics’ next home game will be Game 3 of the playoffs. Grousbeck said every effort will be made to make TD Garden secure for the playoffs.
“I’ve been here 10 years now, and it was shortly after 9/11 when we came in,” Grousbeck said. “Every single game is secured to a relatively high degree. Every playoff game is secured to the Nth degree. Maybe we’ll secure every game to the Nth degree, but these playoffs will be a very safe place to be, and they will be respectful of the victims and hopeful for the future.”
