The Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals 123-116 behind a disappointing defensive effort and an inconsistent night scoring the ball. Boston also dropped Game 1 of the previous round in similar fashion, where rhythm and poise were equally absent.
The Celtics simply never got into gear on defense on Wednesday night. Miami shot lights out from deep from start to finished, aided by slow and inadequate rotations from Boston defenders. In the third quarter things really spiraled out of control for the Celtics, who were outscored 46-25 in the period. As head coach Joe Mazzulla put it several times after the game, the team “just let go of the rope.”
