The Celtics may have been looking forward to Wednesday’s game against the Heat — the first time Boston would meet Miami after the Eastern Conference Finals — but there were bigger things to worry about.
Washington D.C. was met with a slew of people storming the Capitol building, leading to the C’s and Heat walking off the court during warmups before releasing a joint statement.
The game went on as scheduled, and the Celtics pulled out a 107-105 win thanks to a game-winner from rookie Payton Pritchard.
But this win was different, as the events that transpired over the last 48 hours — the ruling of the Jacob Blake shooting and the unrest in D.C. — were heavy in the minds of the Celtics.
“We are blessed to be in this position. We’re men, we’re fathers, we’re members of our community,” Jaylen Brown told reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “We want to continue to be voices for the voiceless.
“… I don’t think any of us was really surprised by the (Jacob Blake) ruling or by what transpired today,” he added. “I think it was common sense for a lot of people to be upset. For us, it’s important to use our platform. We’re role models and members of our community.”
“… In one America you get killed by sleeping in your car, selling cigarettes or playing in your backyard. In another America, you get to storm the Capitol and no tear gas, no massive arrests, none of that. So I think it’s obvious, it’s 2021, I don’t think anything has changed. We want to still acknowledge that, we want to still push for the change that we’re looking for, but as of yet we have not seen it. But we want to continue to keep conversations alive and do our part.”
But even through the anger, Brown said his team was able to express themselves by playing basketball.
“It’s OK to be upset. It’s OK to be angry. … We expressed ourselves through basketball today,” he said. “We don’t encourage violence, or anything of that nature. It’s OK to be upset. … We want to keep inspiring change. I want to believe that we’re doing the right thing.”
As for Jayson Tatum, he knows he can use his voice to bring attention to the issues in this country.
“Unfortunately, being in this situation in the bubble and talking about canceling and leaving, we know we can be in front of the camera,” he said on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “We can talk about the things we need to bring to light and to express.”
Here are some other notes from Wednesday’s Celtics-Heat game:
— Payton Pritchard quickly is making a case to be the reason no one wears No. 11 on the Celtics ever again.
The rookie guard has impressed so far this season, and really gave a reason for C’s fans to cheer Wednesday night when he scored the game-winning bucket in Boston’s narrow win.
Pritchard very well could be the steal of the 2020 NBA Draft as he continues to look like a complete player each and every night.
— The Celtics now are 6-3 with wins coming against the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors. They’re also doing it without Kemba Walker, who’s rehabbing a nagging knee injury.
— Brown and Tatum led the Celtics not just in postgame, but also on the floor.
Brown finished with 21 points, while Tatum scored 27.
— Head coach Brad Stevens wasn’t sure the game would be played 30 minutes before tip-off, even calling his wife to tell her he thought the two teams would not take the court.
— Boston returns to TD Garden on Friday when it hosts the Washington Wizards.
