Celtics' Terry Rozier admits it: 'We needed to get our butts whooped'
After putting LeBron James in his first Eastern Conference Finals 0-2 hole in 11 years, the Boston Celtics were dismantled in Game 3 by a score of 116-86.
The 30-point defeat is tied for the sixth-largest loss in Celtics postseason history and brought back memories of last year’s Conference Finals when Boston had two games where it lost by 30-plus to Cleveland.
While this defeat was humiliating and got the Cavaliers back into the series, it was exactly what the doctor ordered, according to Celtics point guard Terry Rozier.
Terry Rozier @T_Rozzay3 doesn’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that #Celtics got blown out by Cavs in Game 3 Saturday night – #wbz pic.twitter.com/3GGxtfG2LP
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) May 20, 2018
“We needed to get our butts whooped,” he said. “Come back to reality and take care of business on Monday.”
Coach Brad Stevens echoed Rozier’s sentiments, though with not as colorful language.
“They took it to us,” Stevens said. “Point blank: They just outplayed us.”
Through the first two games of the series, the Celtics were being lauded for their team-first mentality without the presence of their two stars, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
One NBA writer even asked if the Terry Rozier-Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown trio was more important than the Irving-Hayward duo and suggested the Celtics’ front office would have to decide which core the team should build around.
But a 30-point embarrassment will snap you back into reality, and it also offers a reminder of Boston’s struggles on the road this postseason.
The Celtics are undefeated at the TD Garden but dropped to 1-5 on the road. Their one win came in overtime vs. the 76ers in the second round.
Boston’s points per game differential is plus-11.3 at home this postseason and minus-12.5 on the road. The Celtics may still be up 2-1 in the series, but this might be exactly what LeBron James wants:
Looking ahead, LeBron James’ teams have won each of the last three series in the East in which his team trailed 2-1.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 20, 2018
Even with that stat, history is still on the side of the Celtics as they’ve never blown a 2-0 series lead in their 72-year franchise history.
Boston will look to keep that perfection alive, and it will get its next chance in Game 4 on Monday.
But even if the Celtics do solve their road woes and go up 3-1, LeBron won’t be worried as he’s pointed out that he’s been in that position before.
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