Charles Barkley couldn't help but pour salt into the wound of Boston fans Tuesday night.
Effectively from jump street in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series between the Celtics and the 76ers, it was clear a win wasn't in store for the Green at TD Garden. Philadelphia outmatched Boston in all facets of the game in the early goings and it took a nine-point lead into halftime.
With a troubling Celtics defeat brewing, Barkley twisted the knife into Boston fans who experienced a crushing, season-ending defeat less than two weeks ago.
"In fairness, if the Celtics lose this series, they still got the Bruins. Oh, that's right," Barkley said at halftime of 76ers-Celtics Game 5, as seen on TNT.
Of course, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins fell well short of expectations in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the first round. The Black and Gold were one minute away in Game 7 from punching their ticket to Round 2, but the resilient Panthers potted a late game-tying goal before winning the series in overtime.
Fortunately for Bostonians at that time, the Celtics' NBA championship aspirations were alive and well. But in the wake of Tuesday night's no-show, Jayson Tatum and company's promising campaign could come to an end Thursday night in Philadelphia.
