The first half of Game 1 of the NBA’s 2023 Eastern Conference Finals went exactly how fans of the Boston Celtics hoped it would, with the team defending and attacking with the sort of intensity needed to meet a determined opponent like the Miami Heat.
But in the second half of the tilt, the Celtics came out a little flat, and that was all the encouragement needed by Miami to punch Boston in the mouth, never looking back as they cruised to a 123-116 win. What went wrong? Why are the Celtics allowing themselves to be taken out of their game so easily? Have they still not learned their lesson, or is there something more here? And is head coach Joe Mazzulla being outcoached by Erik Spoelstra, or was this loss more on the players?
