The white flag came out early for the Boston Celtics on Sunday night at Chase Center.
After a Nemanja Bjelica layup gave the Warriors a 29-point lead in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka took Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Marcus Smart out of the game with 10:45 left to play in the fourth quarter. Those Boston starters ultimately didn’t play another second, as they watched from the bench while Golden State put the finishing touches on its blowout win.
The Celtics have been one of the more resilient teams in basketball dating back to late January. Perhaps that’s why Draymond Green was surprised to see Boston throw in the towel when it did Sunday.
“Going into the fourth quarter up 23, all it takes is one blow from there,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show,” as transcribed by Yahoo Sports. “You throw one punch, and that’s kind of it. And that’s what happened. We threw a punch and went up 29, and then they pulled the plug.
“I was a little shocked to see them pull the plug so early. I do understand it and respect it. But I just did not expect to come back out of that timeout and (see) them pull the plug.”
The Celtics will try to get back on track Wednesday night when they host Green and the Warriors for Game 3. Tipoff from what figures to be a raucous TD Garden is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
