The Boston Celtics are toast, according to Charles Barkley.
Barkley stuck a fork in the Celtics on Sunday — one day before Game 4 of their second-round NBA playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks — by declaring on TNT that Boston won’t win another game.
The Celtics trail the Bucks 2-1 in their best-of-seven series after dropping Games 2 and 3 in Milwaukee and Boston, respectively. The back-to-back losses killed any momentum Boston had after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round and winning Game 1 against Milwaukee on the road.
The Bucks, who own the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, entered the series as the favorites, so it won’t be shocking if they take down the Celtics to pull one step closer to the NBA Finals. But a five-game exit would be disappointing for Boston, which has a very talented roster and flexed its muscle to begin the playoffs.
The winner of the Celtics vs. Bucks series will face the winner of the Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference finals. Barkley, in case you’re wondering, like’s Toronto’s chances of setting up a date with Milwaukee.
It should be noted, of course, that Barkley has been wrong about the Celtics with past predictions, so folks in Boston probably shouldn’t worry too much about his bold declaration.
