Second verse, identical as the primary. The Boston Celtics gained Recreation 1, misplaced Recreation 2, after which gained two straight video games on the highway to take a 3-1 sequence lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday evening. It’s the identical path the Celtics took of their first-round sequence towards the Miami Warmth.
Listed here are three belongings you might need missed.
1. Payton Pritchard’s James Harden impression
No one missed this, but it surely was method too good to go away out.
On the finish of the third quarter, because the Celtics have been attempting to ascertain their lead, Payton Pritchard took issues into his personal palms. With Dean Wade guarding him, Pritchard dribbled in, pulled the ball again, and hit a James Harden-esque step-back to place Boston up by 10.
2. Jayson Tatum hits Jaylen Brown
After a big-time Jaylen Brown three within the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum hit his teammate with what was speculated to be a love faucet.
As a substitute, he clocked him within the chest.
“Yeah, I’m gonna get Jayson again for that,” Brown mentioned jokingly. “I wasn’t paying no consideration, and he simply comes out of nowhere with a left hook straight to the chest, I’m gonna get him again for that.”
Tatum evidently doesn’t know his personal power.
“I didn’t understand how onerous I hit him,” Tatum mentioned. “I’ve been lifting so much these days. Excessive-intensity sport, I drove, they helped, he hit the massive shot. I used to be hype.”
3. Strolling the tightrope with the officers
Tatum and Max Strus each picked up technical fouls all through the course of the sport, however there might have been so many extra. Everybody was upset with the officiating, particularly once they took what felt like an hour to assessment the Brown-Strus incident. JB Bickerstaff always had his head in his palms on the sidelines.
It was extra of the identical in Recreation 3, too, however referee James Williams merely ate the complaining with out meting out any techs of his personal.
For sure, neither of the 2 sides has been more than happy with the way in which the video games have been known as. However that’s simply life within the NBA Playoffs, proper?