As someone who played against the Celtics during one of Boston’s golden eras, Magic Johnson couldn’t believe what he saw from the storied franchise Sunday evening.
The Celtics no-showed in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Heat. After kicking off the best-of-seven series with back-to-back losses at TD Garden, Boston played even worse in South Beach where it was throttled by Miami to the tune of a 26-point verdict.
After the lopsided affair at Kaseya Center, Johnson tweeted on behalf of the Celtics fanbase.
“In my 44 years of being associated with the NBA I never thought I’d see a Boston Celtics team, a franchise with 17 Championships, quit. I know Celtics fans all over the world must be disgusted and devastated. The Miami Heat blew them out 128-102 in Game 3,” the Basketball Hall of Famer said.
Johnson wasn’t the only former NBA player who took the C’s to task after they fell into a 3-0 series hole. Fellow hoops legend Charles Barkley ripped Boston for its “humiliating” effort in South Beach, while former Boston guard Eddie House accused the C’s of quitting on head coach Joe Mazzulla. Ex-Celtics center Kendrick Perkins even went as far as suggesting a franchise-altering move for his old team to consider.
All told, the Celtics are closing in on a disastrous end to a season once filled with so much promise.
