(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks came to play in Game 4; the Boston Celtics didn’t.
It seemed like Joe Mazzulla’s team was ready to pop some champagne and thought they would just beat the Mavericks because they would simply give up.
That wasn’t the case, and the Celtics dug themselves into a hole they were never able to crawl back from.
They wound up losing by 38 points, and while they’re still up 3-1 in the series and more than likely will win it all, it just wasn’t a good look for them.
That’s why Jayson Tatum wanted to make it loud and clear that he didn’t want to make up any excuses for his performance or for the team’s loss.
Tatum noted that while all losses count the same whether they lose by two or by 30, that just wasn’t acceptable (via Noa Dalzell).
Jayson Tatum on his current mindset:
“We always say you lose by two or you lose by 30; they all count the same.”
“But we do need to be better. We’re not making any excuses. We need to be better, and we will. We will be better.” pic.twitter.com/PPLIOGqe3h
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 15, 2024
The Celtics had a reputation for underperforming in big moments, and that was a major concern entering the playoffs.
They showed that again when they lost Game 2 vs. the Miami Heat and then vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it seemed like they had finally put those woes behind them.
Now, they have an opportunity to take care of business and win the whole thing in front of their home crowd in Game 5.
The Mavs have their backs against the wall, and the Celtics still have plenty of margin for error.
Still, they must show a larger sense of urgency in order to avoid putting themselves in an uncomfortable position by having to hit the road again and extending this series any further.
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