BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla had a laundry list of items that went wrong for the Boston Celtics in the third quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.
“We lost our offensive purpose, lost our game plan discipline and allowed them to get out in transition, get second-chance shots. Didn’t guard the 3-point line,” Mazzulla said following Boston’s 123-116 defeat at TD Garden.
Everything came crashing down for the Celtics in that pivotal quarter after they led by 12 at the beginning of the frame. The Heat poured it on with no resistance, knifing up Boston’s defense to shoot a blistering 65.4%, including hitting 6-of-9 3-pointers, from the floor in the frame to outscore the Celtics, 46-25, in 12 minutes. The 46 points in the quarter were a Heat playoff record, according to The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds.
“I feel like they got going, we gave them easy looks in transition and defensively our intensity wasn’t where it needed to be,” Jaylen Brown said. “We we’re up 10. I guess we were a little comfortable. And to start the (third) quarter, they turned it up and ended up finishing the quarter — we were up 10 to start … to being down (12) going into the fourth quarter. That just can’t happen.”
The Celtics seemed in control through the first 24 minutes, answering the Heat at every turn before creating some separation with a 66-57 halftime lead. Boston was feeling itself, too, specifically Al Horford, who after draining a corner 3-pointer trolled the Heat. But it’s become routine for the Celtics to lose focus and not play a complete 48 minutes.
Mazzulla mentioned several times how the Celtics veered away from the game plan and yet again, the common phrase of letting go of the rope was used despite the heightened stage the Celtics are on.
“I thought the first half was good,” Mazzulla said. “I thought we just let go of the rope in the third quarter, lost that sense of urgency. Adjusting to the fact that we played harder than them in the first half and they played harder than us in the third quarter.”
