“They Had A Hangover”: Hall of Famer Calls out Boston Celtics after Disappointing Loss Against Raptors

The Boston Celtics took a commanding 2-0 lead in their eastern conference semi-final series against the Toronto Raptors. But now, the reigning champions have bounced back to give Boston a taste of their own medicine. Raptors registered a dominant victory in Game 4, where the Celtics just looked uninspired. What went wrong for them?

Not many fans would have predicted Toronto to win two straight after taking an early 2-0 blow in the series. But their experience seems to be key, as the series is now wide open and up for grabs.  

In the latest airing of ‘Inside the NBA on TNT,’ the crew looked at the game and gave their verdicts on what went wrong. Charles Barkley did not refrain from calling out names with identifying the letdowns in Game 4. 

“The Celtics, they’re not playing well,” Barkley began. “I thought they had a hangover tonight”, he said, talking about the second straight defeat faced by the 17-time champions. Moreover, Chuck brought in Jaylen Brown’s name into the discussion, as the 23-year-old failed to replicate his sparkling form from the first two games. 

Charles Barkley urges NBA teams to utilize “Plan B” after Celtics loss

Jaylen Brown’s uncharacteristic off-night proved to be the game-changer. Even though Brown hadn’t put up big numbers in the previous games, he stayed efficient in his shooting. But last night, he registered a field-goal accuracy of 22.2%, which largely contributed to the team’s downfall. 

Moreover, Brown was 2-11 from the three-point range, a stat that infuriated Charles Barkley. “I don’t understand, but you gotta have like a Plan B,” he said, pointing at Brown’s dismal performance and his incapacity to bounce back through an alternate game plan. 

Chuck understands that the game has changed a lot since he last set foot on the court as a professional player. He knows the Rockets are heavily relying on the small ball and their three-point shooting to win their games. But it’s not exactly the case for the other teams, is it? 

“The other teams can’t just say, ‘Hey, we just didn’t shoot three’s good tonight.’ You gotta have a Plan B. That’s what I don’t understand about today’s NBA game,” Barkley exclaimed. 

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics didn’t have a Plan B last night, and even if they did, it didn’t work out for them. This loss signifies how much Brown’s success impacts the team.

Game 5 will be a cracking fixture, giving the winner a 3-2 edge in the series. Will the Celtics burst out from their slump, or will the Raptors carry on their momentum and record three straight victories?