MIAMI — More than 30 minutes after the final buzzer sounded, Jaylen Brown took a seat at his locker. He had just taken a shower, and was only in a towel. The Celtics All-Star was still trying to process what had just happened. He sat there, staring into the abyss. He shook his head, still in frustration.
Moments later, he picked himself up, got dressed and took the walk to the visitors’ podium inside the Kaseya Center, where he would try to explain the devastation he just experienced, a 128-102 loss to the Heat that put the Celtics in a shocking 3-0 series hole in the Eastern Conference Finals.
But Brown, always thoughtful in his words, struggled with how to describe his feelings. He and the Celtics’ pride were questioned. It looked like they had quit. There was a clear disconnect on the court. Brown paused for more than five seconds after the first question.
