The Celtics needed a MERCY RULE in Game 3! 🗣️ - Stephen A. | First Take

The Celtics needed a MERCY RULE in Game 3! 🗣️ - Stephen A. | First Take
Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins react to the Boston Celtics being down 3-0 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
0:00 Who is to blame for Celtics' 3-0 deficit vs. Heat?
3:00 Stephen A. says Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are to blame for 3-0 deficit in Eastern Conference Finals.
4:24 Stephen A.: The Celtics got their hearts snatched out of their chest
8:00 Stephen A. on the Celtics' struggles
9:45 Should the Celtics fire Mazulla?
#firsttake #nba
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[@wook1990]

While Kendrick Perkins is in his Celtic feelings today, he did say before the postseason started that the Celtics didn't wanna see the Heat. And look at the outcome thus far.

[@AvenueI77]

Perk be all over the place...I never took him serious

[@wook1990]

​@@AvenueI77 Regardless of what you feel, when he's wrong he's wrong but when he's right he's right.

[@aroperdope]

There's a song by Dionne Farris; it's called Hopeless if you've never listened it. That's the Celtics...

[@Jaywrites23]

@@wook1990 a dead clock is right twice a day

[@ShoLowMan]

We didn’t wanna see the heat in rd 1 fasho I was praying for the hawks 😂😂

[@j.branch819]

The coach took the blame as the leader. But there’s No way he should have to motivate players that are in the playoffs. Boston lost this game as a whole in the first 5 minutes of the game. They all should be embarrassed for the effort they displayed.

[@tiffany5158]

All-star players shouldn't need motivation for the playoffs. Why do so many people criticize Harden in the playoffs? Harden is an all-star, lacks effort in the playoffs, doesn't score like a star should, etc. I understand the coach is going to take the blame as a leader. But their players especially their stars need to take the blame for not scoring, motivating their team, lack of effort, etc.

[@Junknown764]

Coach is horrible, no clue what he's doing, attitude looks horrible, definitely causing tension with the team. He's getting fired after this series.

[@successfulmen2414]

Tatum is a Kobe fan boy but he is nothing like Kobe mentality wise. He always folds under pressure I called it before the playoffs even started

[@LookingForAName...]

Right? These are not players that are new to this. They've been together for a long time and have been in these high stakes situations. They shouldn't need their coach to motivate them, this is THEIR team.

[@peterclaver-obinna4272]

SAS for once I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU. THIS WAA JUSTICE FOR THE BOSTON FRONT OFFICE FOR WHAT THEY DID TO IME UDOKA

[@willdonaldson7353]

Perk saying Robert Williams not starting is a travesty is wild to me. Watch any single second of these games and you see jimmy abusing Robert every time he’s guarding JB. He’s being targeted by jimmy in the mid range, and perk has to see that

[@adriandavis619]

Boston doesn't have an answer for this heat team

[@wook1990]

Kendrick Perkins is in his feelings because he's a former Celtic.

[@back2back379]

He's trying to scapegoat because he knows most casual fans don't actually watch the game. It's probably for some other agenda, like trying to get Doc Rivers back there or something dumb.

[@sickopain2474]

while you’re right i still kinda agree with perk. Robert williams is the best rebounder paint defender and switch through 2-5 and al horford has been struggling from 3

[@aliikram673]

@@sickopain2474 Heat can counter by starting Caleb Martin at the 4, which will literally dice up the big man on offense. And the Miami heat zone is good enough to contain the two bigs.

[@haywood0457]

As a Lakers fan, it helps ease the pain that BOS is also down 0-3. But, I don't think its a coincidence 2 rookie HCs are getting blatantly outcoached by 2 veteran HCs.

[@mrmillennium2697]

Yep that and The Celtics have no inside scoring no true point guard that should bring the ball up the floor and have Brown and Tatum waiting on the wings, and they got Brogdan playing like a 2 guard and his best ability is his play making. Everybody other than Brown just jacking up 3's

[@dex5727]

thought only i felt that way lol

[@botsareeverywhere]

As a Celtics fan it helps ease the pain that the Lakers are down 0-3 😂

[@explosivediarrhea4671]

Lakers have no excuse though especially having LeBron

[@iamcedricpowell8051]

Great point

[@jasonsmith1288]

That's why I got a lot of respect for Jimmy Butler because he's one of the very few players in the league that doesn't want to be on a super team to win a championship

[@chinobandito7625]

These entire playoff series reminds me of when Jimmy took all the third stringers and whooped the first string stars in Minnesota practice. Just doing it on a larger scale now.

[@swish1457]

he joined a superteam and got owned by kawhi, what are you talking about lol.

[@ryanpotter98]

Wouldnt even count the celtics as a super team but you clearly dont know what a super team is

[@rafaelisslaam1894]

Heat lowkey got a solid team doe

[@AlexStayFly20]

@@swish1457 he was traded to the 6ers and losing in 7 isn’t being owned.

[@ThePatman1980]

Who knew the Knicks would put up a bigger fight than the Bucks and Celtics did? 🤣 Miami broke Milwaukee. They broke Boston. They broke every AI projection algorithm.

[@AphasicMute]

And that's with Randle playing injured. I really believe Knicks would've taken Miami out in 7 if RJ actually showed up.

[@vishnuanand9669]

​@@AphasicMuteif jrue and krish showed up, we would have lost If jaylen and Tatum showed up, we wouldn't be up. Everyone has what ifs, but that's not what happened

[@giovalladares1022]

@@vishnuanand9669Jaylen and Tatum have played well until game 3. We were just better. Don’t sell the Heat short. Players don’t just play bad because they’re out of sync. Miami demoralized them making so many shots and their defense was smothering.

[@mrnemoid]

“If we’d played better we would have won” - Everyone who’s ever lost

[@moniemakinmitch5743]

They beat the Knicks just as bad. If Jimmy don’t get hurt in game 1 Heat would’ve beat y’all in 5

[@GeoaxeYo]

"I'm humbly one of the best basketball players in the world" - Jayson Tatum 5/11/23

[@Acepilot12345]

Yes. Hes scored 51 points after that statement. Different series...different team. Heat are much better

[@kasperrieberg3495]

@@Acepilot12345 Agree, but 14 points last night 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Shaolin91z]

He meant during the regular season 🤟

[@nathang3882]

​@@Acepilot12345 the Heat are much better??? Since when 😂😂😂 they just have more heart n hustle. The Celtics are just playing soft

[@ahiowehfiowjit]

@@nathang38823-0

[@Because_Truth_Matters]

In Heat-Bucks series, it was all about 8 seed beating the 1 seed. 8 seed. 8 seed. It was all about undrafted players beating the 1 seed. It was all about shock. Giannis got injured, missed 3 games, played injured and NOBODY mentioned Giannis being hurt. NOBODY gave Giannis grace. after game 4, Giannis missed post game interview and went to straight to get treatment on his back. Did anybody mention that? They blamed everything on Giannis. What's the excuse for the Celtics? Getting walked down by Jimmy and company 🤣🤣. I am loving this.

[@jimmyconway6080]

There’s no excuses in basketball

[@leoprince691]

Giannis still played the last 2 games and the Bucks still lost. No excuses. Also, the Heat have been playing great since they came out of the play-in, so give them their credit.

[@wrd2matimbs646]

Giannis been getting that Lebron treatment for a couple years now. It’s what happens when you’re the best player in the league.

[@SacTown2323]

The bucks didnt lose because giannis was hurt they lost because budenholzer kept on to his no switch and drop defense yes giannis was hurt but how is a guy who is hurt drop 26 10 13 in game 4 and 38 and 20 in game 5?

[@Heshinsi]

Can you show me where any reasonable person put any blame on Giannis?

[@mr.anderson3694]

Boston deserves every ounce of ridicule and shame for yet another failure. Miami is taking it to them and proving that a #8 seed can be lethal. Miami is outclassing them in every aspect. Congratulations to Spoelstra for motivating this team to not settle for anything less than a trip to the Finals.

[@SamUHells]

Yet another failure? Championship window started last year. Y’all are so wild.

[@UnfilteredThought]

@@SamUHellsyou know nothing about basketball. This Celtics team has had 4 CF matches, plus a finals appearance. Hold them accountable. Their window has been open for a while!

[@SamUHells]

@@UnfilteredThought window isn’t open til you make the finals. window was never open with kyrie. the ecf against prime lebron was never a real window. these guys just hit the prime of their career. window is wide open.

[@browndiamonds8617]

Yeah they got lucky last year then exposed in the finals this year they’re getting exposed ECF

[@browndiamonds8617]

@@SamUHells they will when nothing the window is closed unless kyrie walk back in the door that’s what being pumped up an giving a delusion like Tatum is a super star that can bring you a chip

[@drewmeyer9679]

While some blame is on coach and I respect him for taking 100% blame, Brown and Tatum (2 allstars) combing for 26 pts is not due to coaching. Gabe Vincent who was undrafted had 29 pts.

[@kcalnek]

Coaching is more than X's and O's. It's motivating your players and putting them in the place to succeed. That said both the players and the coach deserve blame.

[@fashionlife5348]

Ok Gm Drew

[@yoshz0001]

💯 they got outplayed. JB isoing Grant W was painful to watch.

[@truecarter996]

Doc Rivers

[@TruthMatters626]

@@kcalnek coaching is for the role players. You got 2 superstar players that are getting punked, that ain’t on the coach

[@Jtolan33]

As a Celtics fan, I’m glad Stephen A brought up the Ime Udoka situation. I’m glad that we’re having this conversation about the Ownership.

[@noctxrnal_cnvs]

It's funny, everyone i watched the game with last night agreed there needed to be a mercy rule. At least a "Throw in the White Towel" option. 😂😂😂

[@mattvoltage21]

😂😂

[@Salisboury]

If you are kidding then ignore the rest of my comment. However if you aren’t then I disagree because it allows bench players to get some playing time during the playoffs. Maybe they will get some opportunity in the following games.

[@noctxrnal_cnvs]

@Salisboury Yeah, it was just an ongoing joke about how out of hand the game was, and how the starters were on the bench with their heads hung low. I completely agree with you though ✊🏾

[@jamesleroy8797]

Boston getting swept is more embarrassing than the Bucks losing in the first round. At least for the Bucks you can make an argument that their best player was out for 3 games. Celtics have 0 excuses, they have the most talented team, they're more complete compared to Miami, Brown and Tatum were considered better than Butler before the playoffs started and they're getting beaten down like this

[@johnsonsmithson45]

Also since the Celtics made the conference finals no changes will be made lol. The bucks getting knocked in the first could be a blessing in disguise

[@angel-ij4xv]

what happened to lakers and boston they was supposed to meet together in the finals not

[@kalix975]

stop it giannis fanboy, celtics don't have a coach

[@Eli43199]

@@kalix975 and what abt last year ?

[@AnimeComicBlerd]

They’ll blame the coach

[@blindpew412]

Yessss preach it SAS preach it!!! I’m so sick of this org. They’ve shut our championship window, they got rid of the coach and they’ve made JB feel unwanted! I hope we struggle the next decade!!!

[@xxtmonejoo3217]

Never should’ve fired ime udoka it’s annoying

[@BigKuntry74]

😂😂😂😂 well damm

[@montraybrown9008]

I get that. But also the woman in the organization for the Celtics name may as well be dragged through the mud as well. She was just as much as fault. Shame on both of them. The PR about Ime Udoka should’ve came out like that. They made Nia longs life and her kid for a bit pretty bad. People need to be discreet about things in the professional way.

[@vibrationalcurrency]

“I hope we struggle” is a wild thing to say

[@xavierb9061]

Coach had to go...he messed up organization with actions

[@harinderrana9735]

The series Stephen A is talking about is the 2001 Western conference finals Lakers vs Spurs it was hyped as the greatest series of all time and the Lakers swept them easily.

[@dariusbattle9503]

Can’t believe he actually spoke about it they act like certain nba events are just unspeakable lol

[@AlexStayFly20]

Kobe killed them that series. 45 15 in game 1. He averaged like 30+ for that series to match Shaqs

[@FuShengAlex]

Hyped by who? The Spurs only had Duncan and also lost their starting SG Derek Anderson to injury vs Dallas prior to the series. The Lakers coasted during that regular season that's the only reason SA had a better record. Duncan had to do absolutely everything for the Spurs.

[@fk4410]

@@FuShengAlex duncan was just the third best player that series easy as that

[@leoprince691]

​@FuShengAlex it was indeed hyped. They were the top two teams in the West plus they were the last two champions coming into the series. I was watching back then, it was a rivalry and it was expected to be a close series.

[@TanRicky321]

Celtics never should’ve gotten rid of Udoka. Ever since they fired him the Celtics season this year was solely based on if they could make it back to the Finals. They won’t. Same players, different results. That’s coaching.

[@angel-ij4xv]

lakers and boston are doomed

[@jonunderscore]

different Heat team this year

[@Shaolin91z]

Can't let that black coach be cheating with an executive Becky.....F dat. He did it to himself

[@lexis4490]

Yeah, but this is why the Celitcs lost to the Warriors. They should of changed up the team a little bit. And I think it's easy for you to say don't get rid of Udoka. But if the rumors are true, I don't know many men who would happily work with Udoka after that.

[@TanRicky321]

@@jonunderscore Maybe mentally but Miami kept a majority of the team from last year. Even Herro is still there. I thought they would’ve traded Duncan Robinson but they didn’t. So the team is pretty much the same, Celtics actually improved from a roster standpoint by bringing in Brogdon.

[@0ktk]

I don't think I would necessarily blame the Celtics as much as I would praise the Miami Heat and Erik Spoelstra. They are playing perfect basketball out there and we've seen this consistently from them since last season. It's a thing of beauty.

[@gabriel_the_salubri]

Stephen A. hit the nail right on the head with the "JUSTICE". Karma is not about checks and balances... Karma is about lessons! I love my Celtics, but they had this coming.

[@iitsbigboat]

As a player it’s your responsibility to be ready mentally and to show up. The coach definitely bears some responsibility for the poor play but why is it his fault Tatum, first team all nba, and Brown, second team all nba, are performing poorly. They’re turning the ball over and playing too much iso ball compared to the Heat who are moving the ball around, spreading the defense thin and making a barrage of 3pters. Kobe definitely not texting Tatum back

[@LGeezus_]

This is on the team at no point would I expect rookie HC joe to outcoach Erik Spoelstra. The players actually have seen this heat core squad for years so they should know what’s expected of them but they are not playing up to par

[@haydenmagezi5058]

@@LGeezus_ bro basketball doesn’t work like that. Basketball is all about plays. That comes from the coach. Don’t get it twisted the players had to play better but I don’t blame tatum. Tatum sometimes has to force a shot because there is nothing for him to work with. We need to stop this tatum hate, most people don’t know basketball. We do need to get rid of Joe and trade Marcus and brown

[@LGeezus_]

@@haydenmagezi5058 23 TO between brown n Tatum ain’t coaching bro. Missing shots ain’t coaching bro. The players have to execute.

[@AlejandroHernandez-wn9gf]

@@haydenmagezi5058 FR bro people don’t realize that JT is being double almost every time because Miami knows that they cannot let JT play 1v1, also it makes me mad that when JT plays great nobody talks about him but when he plays bad is all his fault

[@haydenmagezi5058]

@@AlejandroHernandez-wn9gf word. When he plays bad everyone is acting he isn’t a superstar

[@kcalnek]

The Knicks being the Heat's toughest series in the eastern conference was not in my bingo card

[@Keezie27]

Lol they did put up a good fight

[@ZfromBrooklyn]

Jimmy was coasting

[@kcalnek]

@@ZfromBrooklyn Jimmy was getting doubled and went up against a coach that knew his tendencies. Heat won because Bam showed up, Heat hit 3s, Knicks didn’t hit 3s, and Randle turned into a pumpkin.

[@JamJamIU]

Woulda been a sweep or in 5 with Jimmy playing game2 🏃‍♀️

[@kcalnek]

@@JamJamIU and if Worthy and Scott played in game 5 of the 1991 NBA finals the Lakers win. Do you see how pointless hypotheticals are except to massage your fragile ego?

[@hardenxx1335]

7-40 from 3 this whole series? Good lord!!!!

[@rgreen165]

Yep, they were just 1 of 14 last night. Even though it wouldn’t have mattered anyway

[@giostevens7669]

The heat running them off the 3

[@ThePatman1980]

Miami is so good, they might get two head coaches fired! 🤣 I'm happy for Joy Taylor. I know she loves her Miami Heat. Spoelstra is the best coach in the NBA.

[@OG725]

Pat4Clippers 🤣 aren’t you tired of flip flopping?

[@aa-jx5zz]

Best coach with 1 ring with a stacked Heat team stop it is every coach Lebron get a ring wit all a sudden the best coach 😂😂

[@Rich-iy3dt]

​@@aa-jx5zz he got 2 rings

[@chrisboswell3576]

Stephen A is soooooo right about that Lakers Spurs series in 2001. Kobe absolutely tore them up! Game 3 and 4 the spurs were massacred.

[@rogerblewett5595]

Man why you had to bring that up lol.. that's alright.. the Spurs got them back in 03

[@christopherwilliams477]

That’s what they get for firing their coach over a personal matter! That should have been handled privately!

[@soda8736]

You think he was just going to sleep with a VP wife and nothing was going happen?

[@dantenewyork7380]

just because someone is un-drafted does not mean they are inferior. a lot of b.s. goes into who goes to what schools..and people can develop on their own schedule. when players go up against one another - who cares what their resumes say..it's who outduels who

[@xavierb9061]

Lol no it does..you smoking gooooooood

[@Mr360Darren]

Uhh I think people that go undrafted go undrafted for a reason lol. People who got drafted had potential and a track record that teams thought had value so it’s surprising to most people when undrafted players are beating down on players who proved they were talented enough to get drafted when they weren’t even able to demonstrate that for themselves in order to get drafted in the first place.

[@dantenewyork7380]

@@Mr360Darren uhhhhh...i think you are in fact - ill be polite since it's not my channel - woefully ignorant. there are players on the playground of NYC and other cities that would school all these privileged players who get shuttled up the draft boards, often to be scrubs when they hit the league. whereas there are many players who weren't 5 Star All American, didn't go D1, didn't shake the commissioners hand...and grow to become far more impactful players than the former 'name brands'. you're not even understanding the original point. on paper, someone who was a top ranked high school prospect, and went onto star at college and drafted high...'SHOULD' in theory be superior to someone else who climbed the greasy pole into the league. but sometimes they are not. and you judge based on what happens when they play each other.

[@NosyNorseman]

James Harden got Doc fired according to ESPN, but despite Brown and Tatum stunk up the joint.. its all on Coach 😊

[@jay4vice]

As a HEAT fan I learned a lot from STEPHEN A. and PERK.

[@ayoPHREEK]

As a Celtics fan I’m glad you said it SAS….the ownership is to blame for our situation…with IME we would have never looked this bad….and brad trying to promote his guy and look like a genius rather than get an experienced coach for this team puts him at fault too Celtics fans have had our doubts all year and now it shows….ownership destroyed our season and hope Talent is the only reason we got this far….ownership should be dragged up and down the airwaves

[@YourboyAz85]

Thanks Stephen A for bringing this up, justice has been served

[@JRAYDABEAST]

I never thought I would see two conference finals where both team are about to get swept it’s unbelievable. The heat have been so good

[@DanielZ534]

It literally happened 6 years ago in 2017 lol. Cavs and warriors were both up 3-0 in the conference finals

[@JRAYDABEAST]

@@DanielZ534 oh

[@allydr90]

​@@DanielZ534 The Celtics won 1 tho. Remains to be seen what the final score will be.

[@matthewdavis6733]

Horford getting roasted and toasted by bam and Robert Williams getting picked on every possession by jimmy

[@johnsharkey2753]

PERK, you have evolved, You are 1,000 percent correct, Rob Williams field goal percentage is crazy plus he is a younger guy that can help slow down Bam, also Boston had lots of success with the high pic and roll when Robert Williams was in the game. Mazzula is out of his league in these playoffs.

[@ShadomanG]

Couldn’t agree more w/SAS monologue about Ime Uodka. Yes, he made the WRONG move but he committed no crime & the organization handled that (personal) situation terribly. Now they have some EMOTIONAL coach who bickers w/the media & isn’t yet ready

[@aintjamama8053]

Jimmy with the T to Horford was classic

[@cherayj3860]

Talk that talk Stephen and Perkin thanks for putting that out there.

[@michaelsherron5750]

"This is Justice" I TOTALLY agree with SAS and his points about how classless the Celtics have been with the Udoka. situation.

[@soda8736]

Was Udoka classless?

[@michaelsherron5750]

@@soda8736 No, not in the way that it was handled.

[@soda8736]

@@michaelsherron5750 what was Udoka supposed to handle?

[@michaelsherron5750]

@@soda8736 Uh, nothing. Nothing that I can think of. Do you have an opinion on what Udoka was supposed to handle?

[@ekoboyz757]

Tatum is a choker, stop blaming others. He deserves the same criticism as Embid is getting

[@nikolayjerev9285]

Embiid is getting no criticism basically. They vote him MVP something based on his defense, then Tatum hunts him and drops 51 on only his and his only head....

[@xavierb1333]

Don't you mean Harden. Embiid criticism is small.

[@MindfulAttraction2.0]

Tatum don't have a pitty MVP

[@Bartt50]

Big changes are coming to Boston.

[@johnpalmer6859]

It won't make them better

[@misu9274]

1st tHEY have to change their name into BOSTON celDICKS

[@Bartt50]

@@johnpalmer6859 lol true

[@spaceghostcqc2137]

Russ is coming.

[@SamoaVsEverybody814]

Ltics are fatally flawed at the core. They'll never win till they blow it up

[@marshajulessa2995]

Few thoughts: #1 - The fact that the Celtics have not figured it out by now that you cannot underestimate Miami just because they are seeded 8th is mind- boggling‼️😅 #2 - Its amazing to see how the Heat bench has responded so well in this series amidst all the pressure! Drafted or not I don't care, the mental is just as important as the skills wrt professional sports and being successful. ✅️🏀 # 3- Is it just me or did it seem like Boston gave up at some pt in da 3rd? Sad to see considering they were the favorite! 😢 HOWEVER I am excited to see how badly Jimmy Butler and da Heat want that chip and are willing to play THE best games of their lives to earn it. That is why I always believed Miami should represent the East ✅️ 😊. That coach Erik is a genius.

[@michaelmonagas8734]

Bam has just hit the new level his confidence has hit the ceiling and that is the difference. Jimmy has always been HIM, but Bam made this team hit the next level with his mid-range and chemistry which he lacked yesterday. If he gets handles, it's going to be scary.

[@MrJhov24]

I have been waiting for this BAM since the playoffs started. He had a span this year of 15-20 games where he was dominant during the regular season. He is the key and Spo always says it. If Bam played like this last year with confidence they would have made the finals

[@albenjo45]

AMEN Stephen A! This is JUSTICE indeed. FOR IME!!!! ✊

[@soda8736]

You can't sleep with a VP wife and expect no consequences

[@izzonyc]

Ime was the actual brains if the celtics

[@patrick553]

They literally lost with him too lmao

[@_AG1994_]

@@patrick553 They didn't underachieve like they are doing right now though. They were definitely playing with more grit last year. Had more fight in them too.

[@Zee006_]

that’s why they choked leads last year, was losing playoff games @ home and he was the brains that thought playing drop coverage against steph curry

[@patrick553]

@@_AG1994_ Still lost

[@_AG1994_]

@@patrick553 obviously lol

[@mrantdagreat]

I’m glad Stephen A. Addressed the elephant in the room as far as the difference in the Celtics this year and last 💯💯💯

[@Mist_R]

Very well said by these two gentlemen

[@UncleRuckusss]

I'm glad Stephen A. keeps bringing up that Ime incident. He's absolutely right.

[@HustleFlash]

Stephen A Smith said it best...This is Justice...For Boston...Ownership and Management for what they did to Udoka..plus as the old saying goes, The chicken has come home to roost...I've said this about Lakers in letting go of Caldwell Pope the one weapon that they shipped off to Washington and now is with the enemy the team they killed in WCF in 2020...The Nuggets understood the assignment, they did it...Lebron isn't 35 with fresh legs from a pandemic AD aint a young buck no more..The Lakers didnt have the same weapons they did 3 years ago...All because Bron wanted Westbrook and how much that created a failure and firing Vogel to be the fall guy it was nasty...Just like This is justice for Boston, this is the same Justice for Los Angeles Lakers for getting rid of a good bench for a player that never fit with them from the jump...and now Lebron at 38-39 and AD 31 this offseason is key for the Lakers..

[@lexis4490]

This may true, but if the rumors are true about Udoka, I can't see a lot of bosses and men in general not being pissed about what Udoka did. It's easy for us fans to say how we would handle it, but we weren't there.

[@Zee006_]

they did nothing to Udoka, they told him to stop his behavior and he didn’t want to listen

[@Hi-cq2hm]

It is not justice , it's just life it is just age, these games have been close even with a 38 years old in his 20th season injured Lebron, imagine if a healthy 31 years old Lebron was playing, this would be 3-0 Lakers, so again it's not justice it's just life age.

[@calvinjames5547]

Do it Big Perks...Love this...they lay down like a fresh set of Dominos...

[@jaayeee24]

Robert Williams was the only one who kept playing when they “let the rope go” last night. He was still hustling. Personal pride!

[@zack1610]

I think the problem is Tatum tends to disappear when the game gets into crunch time. Yes he had 51 points in Game 7 vs. the sixers but a lot of that came when the C's were already up double digits. The real question is can he wheel and deal his team to victory when they are are trailing by double digits? That remains to be seen

[@giovalladares1022]

Yep it’s easy to stay up when your whole squad is doing well. It’s another to put the team on your back when you’re down and you need a leader to bring you back. Tatum does not have that ‘Mamba Mentality’

[@MF-pk2gf]

@@giovalladares1022 Jimmy has the Mamba mentality. He’s not the best at everything but he’s good at being a dawg.

[@Zee006_]

the funny things is under Udoka they were choking big leads but the media narrative won’t say it

[@champchamp3745]

Everyone deserves blame on the Celtics but let’s be real this coach hasn’t even been average… he got carried by talent all season, his philosophy has been a net negative for this team. Terrible feel for the game, terrible rotations, no plays on offense, no defensive adjustments… Sure the players gotta play but if your “leader” is clueless it leads to disorganization and players splintering to their own agendas. This isn’t a team that is together and that starts at the top… Total mismanagement by Joe Mazzulla and very disappointing and disturbing effort from the players….

[@robinabernathy2829]

Miami coming off as a team that exposed how soft the other teams were. Miami is winning because of sheer grit, grind and hustle.

[@marseilleicon]

I love it!😂

[@Creatiouz]

I think it shows how much a coach actually matters. Your players have to believe in the system they’re executing in order for it to work. When most players disagree with the system, you lose the locker room and confidence in your team. You can tell they miss Eme “Udoker”

[@jgalvan09]

facts, now we're seeing two rookie head coaches down 0-3 lakers and Celtics both series are just Vet coaches outplaying some rookie coaches

[@gc1087]

Lol what? It's coaches fault they shooting like 25% from open shots...the players are trash. 7/40 from 3...lol that's worse MUCH worse than my gym games.

[@Creatiouz]

@@gc1087 “my gym games” brother a NBA playoff and a gym game are two completely different things. And yes, team chemistry includes the coach. It baffles me how so many NBA fans see things as black and white. A coach matters way more than you think

[@DerekWill-qp5ge]

Miami takes after their GM and coach! They work hard and don't believe anything team they play against is better than them! I teamwork! Go Heat!

[@arthuresau1129]

Noone speeks about Coach Spoelstra. He is the best Coach in the league. The Heat were not just ready, they were ready for war- every minute of the game.

[@waynewizdom9410]

PREACH

[@JonathanTurnerTurner]

It’s on Tatum and Brown. Obviously Mazzulla isn’t ready, but it’s just a choke job

[@ThePatman1980]

"Joe Blow" Mazzulla happens to be nearly 4 months younger than Steph Curry. His previous experience is being an assistant coach in Division II and G-League teams.

[@cjfrm3658]

It's not the coach fault when the stars playing bad

[@soda8736]

Imagine the outrage Stephen A tlwpuld have if Muzzula was white lol

[@JacksonAllers]

Kudos to the producer who cued the music behind KP's dialogue about the Nuggets ball movement. starts at 6:59

[@OweNoManAnything]

“No you need water”😂

[@HOPE00G]

Coaches can ONLY do so much. At the end of the day the athletes are doing the scoring, fouling, blocking, defending, etc. It doesn't matter if the coach switches the players or drafts up a good play...at the end of the day if the players do NOT execute then it all goes to waste. Hold them players accountable!!!

[@AJ-jx5gm]

true. coaches can only do so much but a big responsibility of the coach is to create synergy for his team. The celtics are a mess as a team when they play and its bc the coach is not doing his job properly. I'm not even a celtics fan and i can tell u that the previous celtics coach was able to do this very well last year and its why they were able to beat the heat last year.

[@tylerterry179]

Nah mazulla is making boneheaded decisions. It’s a tough job I get it. But adjustments are not being made. He’s starting the wrong players. He’s not calling timeouts when neeeded. And he’s just stubborn about it. He’s not a bad coach but if they get swept he might be one and done

[@AbelVlogsRD]

Who else remembers ESPN saying the Heat had a 3% chance in beating Miami in this series?

[@robinabernathy2829]

Goes to show how wrong whatever AI tool they're using. Vegas had the Celtics as -600ish to win the series.

[@AbelVlogsRD]

@@robinabernathy2829 and to show their “analysts” don’t know anything

[@doorengray1]

I love him

[@M_Sonata]

Stephen A is a master at rhetoric and delivering a story and point.

[@madmatt1964ify]

Stephen A was absolutely correct in his assessment of the situation of the Boston Celtics and Ime Udoka! Thats what the leadership deserves.

[@ThePatman1980]

Here's why I believe the Heat will beat the Nuggets in the Finals: Because they punked the Bucks and Celtics, two teams you can argue are better than the Nuggets.

[@SmokeNMirrors600]

Nuggets are different beast my guy trust me stop comparing teams every team is different

[@dison9999]

Let's see then~

[@spitzrealist86]

JUSTICE!!!!!!! That is a fact!!!!!!!!

[@indarkestknight9778]

Ime Udoka somewhere laughing like when Jimmy Butler left when he beat Minnesota's starters with back-ups. "Ya'll can't when without me!!!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@vcbuilder5541]

Mark Jackson would be a great new coach for Boston

[@topsykretts2264]

Nah. This the guy who left Jokic out of his MVP voting. Lmfao. He should be nowhere near a HC job. Doesn’t know how to identify and develop talent unless it’s blatantly obvious.

[@Helloim_anthony]

⁠​⁠@@topsykretts2264 “Doesn’t know how to identify and develop talent” people in this comment section just say anything

[@FAROUK253]

Stephen A just spoke the gospel. This is exactly it!!! I’m celts fan and this is exactly it.

[@ygfsygfs4192]

My boy Perk needed that water 😆😆😆🤣🤣

[@freeagent2207]

Agreed

[@ThePatman1980]

I'm starting to believe the Miami Heat are going to win the 2023 NBA championship. It's 2023. Jimmy Butler is called the illegitimate son of Michael Jordan.

[@remy12]

The east is weak, no team besides Miami has played playoff basketball. They will not be able to handle a healthy Nuggets team.

[@aa-jx5zz]

We just gon forget WADE 06 run still better😂😂

[@izuki1245]

As a sixers fan i love these playoff ,Boston is getting it handed to them Boston figured out Philly, the fact that you cant win playing hero ball or just isolation ball,that worked in the regular season but not in the playoffs, now Miami figured out the same thing, Boston isnt gonna win playing the same way ,Miami plays as a team ,Boston has two guys that ball hog and do not trust their teammates.

[@HimmReaper]

Well said! And this is why they HAVE to blow that Boston roster up. It looks pretty and all but it just does work!

[@screamingdizbuster7722]

SAS is absolutely correct - this debacle of a season has Wyc and Stevo's fingerprints all over it. Next, Udoka takes the rest of the Celts few remaining assistant coaches and Jaylen and Marcus request trades to Houston. Heck, Celtics management didn't even give their own players a heads up before the scandal hit the mass media. That indicates the lack of respect that ownership had for the players as well as the fans of the team.

[@garychampagne4652]

They didn't think about Nia Long! Good word SAS!

[@KatyThunder25]

They could not even defend a dude named Gabe Vincent lol

[@Preston1988]

I was thinking this you got Marcus smart Tatum & brown an you let an undrafted player gabe go off where’s the defense

[@lucasmartinez5703]

Knicks putting up a better fight then Boston or Milwaukee in the Easter Conference is more then anyone thought. They had their best season in a while and I'm proud.

[@thespaceram2879]

The Nba and Scott Foster (Snake Loster) helped the Knix Knats win game 2 in the closing minutes. The Knix should of been swept too. If it weren't for the Nba and their meddling. It would have happened.

[@user-kh1om2ff6z]

Perk said it what I been saying last few years iso ball with Tatum and brown is not going get it done they need a point guard …. Been needed one

[@Pgpadlock]

7:50 😂😂 this is what sacrificing looks like once again!!!

[@lascel5997]

Protect Kendrick Perkins at all cost!!! d Dominos reference was fire 🔥 !!! 😂😂😂😂

[@francisevans5287]

Is it the coach playing or the MultiMillionaire NBA players playing?

[@yengvang8737]

Miami vs Celtics should always be a 7 game watchable TV series, I did not expected this kind of a** whooping.

[@co30walkk]

Miami like one of those 90s teams they did this to my Hawks last year they are just a dangerous discipline team and I wonder can they do anything close to Denver who also looks dangerous we will see soon enough.

[@jamesleroy8797]

Nahhh Boston just doesn't have the heart anymore. They're not the same team as last year in terms of heart and effort. Watching the Celtics this playoffs ya'll can see they give up in the 1st half. I think it's time to blow this team up, they've been using the same formula for years now and the league has adapted to it. Sure they've had multiple conference finals appearance and even a Finals appearance last year but that's as far as their ceiling goes. Time to blow the team up, maybe consider that Brown and Tatum aren't the duo this team is expecting them to be and trade Smart while they're at it

[@angel-ij4xv]

which team has a better chance of coming back from 0-3 answer neither they are both are doomed

[@Se0420_]

Perk wrong. not the coach fault. if your coach got to come up with strategies to get star players motivated in the ECF then something wrong with the players

[@nationalchampions]

I've seen many punkings on a basketball court and I'm sure I'll see more.

[@brysonpotter8486]

14:09 felt like church for a second 😂

[@jjcastilllo]

Celtics just look embarrassing last night. You had home court for the first two games and a lack of gameplay against this team who are surprising everyone and you are down 0-3. What makes it impressive is that Jimmy didn’t have a big night and the role players let them get every single point while Tatum and Brown just look awful in that game.

[@AvenueI77]

The Heat got them playing their way...Boston defense look lost, Boston % in this series been awful, Boston look silent frustrated

[@PatrickFreshBateman]

Eat your heart out haters. An 8th seed about to take out both the 1st and 2nd seed. 3% they said..let’s go Heat!

[@Kiwi-ez8hl]

It’s cool take y’all dub, jokic bout to mop floor wi y’all .. Celtics will b back next year.

[@skii7602]

​@@Kiwi-ez8hl no they wont

[@timfwaygo2537]

​@@Kiwi-ez8hl jokic we got something for the nuggets they haven't faced a defense and shooters like this miami team have stop it😂😂😂

[@Drila11]

Denver hasnt played any contender yet the Heat have beaten the favorites twice already were battle tested and ready for the new favorites🔥

[@Boolin217]

The heat are the better team

[@Shakamarusan]

Vintage Stephen A. This is why we became fans of you in the first place 👊🏾

[@MelaninSpeakzOut]

The star in this clip goes to the Perkins Kingdom 💕 What a display of unity

[@Barak144]

Knicks gave the Heat their best fight so far in the playoffs. You know the espn won’t ever say that. Not to mention the refs helped the heat vs the Knicks in the first 5 games of the second round. The Celtics are getting a fairly reffed series.

[@sedohema]

Is cause of those same refs that NY didn't get swept. Stop crying.

[@xmantrader136]

Hold on a second the refs helped the Knicks win game 2 against the Heat. You're wrong buddy

[@Barak144]

@@xmantrader136 the refs didn’t help the Knicks win game two stop da🧢 They missed one call where the ball grazed the rim on a 24 sec shot clock with 7 minutes left in the game. That’s not called helping the Knicks win. There were 7 lead changes after that blown call. The refs blew that call. The Knicks do not get help from the league or the refs at all dude. If anything they get snubbed.

[@skii7602]

Once udoka was out i knew Celtics wouldn't make it back to the finals, didnt think they would be on the verge of getting swept tho 😮

[@AphasicMute]

When I saw how the hawks were able to keep their series alive in the first round vs Boston, I knew they were trash lol. Without Dejounte(sp) btw. Let Trae take endless open 3s in the 4th. Celtics got lazy on defense in game 5...IN BOSTON LOL.

[@T.T.J.E.]

Facts

[@hochathanfire0001]

Word to the A, and then Perk.

[@Zenigundam]

If the Heat don't close this out in Game 4 and the series comes back to Miami 3-2, there'll be a lot of people pulling for Boston.

[@mawright04]

Lmao

[@wook1990]

LOL. Hilarious.

[@dadlessgamerGND]

I just can’t believe you typed this blasphemy out with a straight face

[@walea.4702]

Miami broke Boston. Took their heart out, no hope left. Lol.

[@haywood0457]

As a Lakers fan, it helps ease the pain that BOS is also down 0-3. But this season has been wild. BOS got their souls snatched last night. I do think its high probability at least one of these series gets "interesting" by going to a game 6 or 7. If I'm Lakers, win game 4 and game 5 is a MUST win for DEN or its going 7.

[@diegomagellan]

Nah! Nuggets vs heat

[@Bossdonbigga]

🤣 um Denver bouts pack them up u know how hard u have to play to win 4 straight best bet is to pray for an injury cuz it’s basically over

[@nine3seven]

14:54 Big Perk is BIG PHLEGMY Get that brother some H20 ASAP!

[@calvinchin7171]

When the 3% team gon sweep ur team 🔥