Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown pointed the finger at the officials after hist team’s tough home loss to the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday evening.
Despite a 40-point performance, Jaylen Brown is clearly frustrated about the Boston Celtics‘ Game 3 home loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brown may have had the most points of anyone playing in the game, but dropping Game 3 at home is certainly crushing in Boston’s chances of getting to the NBA Finals. This defeat swings home-court advantage back into the hands of the Heat, who dropped Game 2 at their place previously. Even if he shot 70-percent from the field on Saturday, Brown had some thoughts…
While the Celtics lost the turnover battle to Miami 23-8, Brown believes the referees swallowing the whistle when his team was on offense largely contributed to this momentum-changing loss.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown blames Game 3 loss to Miami Heat on referees
If you look at the stat lines from this pivotal Game 3, without question, the biggest takeaway is Boston was utterly atrocious when it came to taking care of the basketball. The Celtics may have shot better from the floor and out-rebounded Miami, but these extra possessions gift-wrapped to the Heat proved to be the difference in the six-point game. Boston must now win on Miami’s floor.
Blaming the officials for a loss is never a good look, especially when the game in question was played on the complainer’s home court. Regardless, this game best illustrates why Miami won the East two years ago, albeit in the Orlando bubble, and why the Heat are poised to get back to the NBA Finals. The Heat proved once again they can grind out a hard-fought battle in hostile territory.
As far as who Boston or Miami could face in the NBA Finals in the subsequent round, it is looking more and more like the Golden State Warriors will be representing the Western Conference. Though Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks do get Games 3 and 4 at home, the first two games in San Francisco have not been all that competitive. Whoever does win the East will have earned it.
Brown and the rest of the Celtics will have to pick up the pieces ahead of their must-win Game 4.