Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals represented a rock-bottom moment for the Boston Celtics.
The Miami Heat eviscerated the Celtics at Kaseya Center on Sunday — one former member of the team thought the players “quit” on Joe Mazzulla — to put Boston on the brink of elimination as it stares at a 3-0 series deficit. No team in NBA history has overcome such a deficit.
Despite understanding that they are in the least favorable position playoff basketball has to offer, veteran center Al Horford isn’t completely counting out the Celtics until the Heat register their fourth win to end the series.
“This is part of our journey right now and right now we’re in a low, low,” Horford said as seen on NBC Sports Boston postgame coverage. “And rightfully so we’re being counted out because we haven’t been able to respond. But we’re not out yet. It is 3-0. I know what it looks like. I think I saw the other day, (teams are) 0-149 or something like that (in this position). But we’re not out yet. We’re still kicking. One of four teams that are still kicking.”
The Celtics looked like a broken team in the 128-102 loss to the Heat on Sunday. Mazzulla and Horford both admitted that Boston has lost its defensive identity while Mazzulla confessed to a locker room disconnect between him and the players.
With the Celtics possibly tuning out their head coach at the most pivotal point of the season, it is on players like Horford to try to rally the team in an effort to at least extend the series and avoid further embarrassment by getting swept.
“After the game, it’s just hard to talk and say — there’s a lot of emotions, different things going on,” Horford told reporters, per ASAP Sports. “But the biggest thing for our group is for us to remain together. And through good or bad, we’re a group that we stay together, and that’s been the key to our success here. And right now it’s not looking so great. But that’s my message to the group.”
Horford’s last-ditch effort to unite his teammates might not matter if the Celtics have already made their vacation plans. And with the way they no-showed Game 3, it will be evident from the way they play if they have already conceded defeat Tuesday in Game 4.
