Pathetic.

     Game 6. On your home court. With a chance to go to the NBA Finals for the first time ever, and to bring the storied franchise you play for back for the first time in over a decade. All this, and you come out and put out a stinker. Collapse and let the Heat walk all over you, forcing a Game 7 back at their place. 

    I will be honest, I am someone who is very critical of the referees. I think basically every call goes against me and my rooting interests. I felt strongly about that last night watching the game, convinced that Adam Silver had made the call that he wants a Game 7. It was a complete and other ref show with the whistle being blown seemingly every possession.  There were a ton of calls that should have been nothing, especially given the circumstances of the Game.  Then there were some other missed calls that were blatantly obvious. Both teams were complaining to the refs, and they finally had enough and warned both sides to stop doing it. Then I watched later in the game as PJ Tucker got up right in the face of one of the refs and screamed in his face for what he believed was a bad call. Nothing. So much for putting your foot down. Both teams continued to complain, no repercussions. Even with all my gripes with the officials, this was a winnable game for the Celtics, and they just threw it away. 

    Miami finally started to making some shots, something they had not been doing in the previous two games. They were even making shots I would deem prayers, shooting 50% from three on shots with less than four seconds left on the shot clock. Despite this, the Celtics were able to claw back from 13 down in the third quarter with back to back threes from Al Horford and Derrick White. The Heat took a time out and from there on out the game was over. The Heat outscored the Celtics 17-6 and won the game rather easily. In the second half, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined to shoot only seven shots, and in the 4th quarter alone Tatum had four turnovers. Just inexcusable from your two best players in a closeout game. 

    Jimmy Butler was impressive, showing up in Game 6 for the first time in the last couple games. Giannis was impressive last series. That didn't matter. Butler's performance shouldn't have either. The bright lights came on and the Celtics could not match the Heat's intensity and fire. They played with a mentality that looked like "Oh well there will be another game if we lose." Just an embarrassing way to come out in a chance to go to the NBA Finals. Now you have to go to Miami where anything can happen. On a night where you needed your star players to show up because the role players were not up to par, they disappeared. You choked away your best chance, and an opportunity to get 5 days off to rest and recover. Pathetic.