BOSTON (AP) — Once so prodigious on their parquet floor, the Boston Celtics can’t seem to squeeze out a home-court advantage during these playoffs.
Once so prodigious on their parquet floor, the Boston Celtics can’t seem to squeeze out a home-court advantage during these playoffs.
The franchise that once went 40-1 at home over an entire season fell to .500 at the TD Garden in the playoffs this year with a 123-116 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
“I don’t know. I don’t know why,” said Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who scored 30 points. “You’ve still got to play the game. You’ve still got to make plays, regardless of whether you’re at home or away. The court is the same: There’s one ball, three refs and two baskets.
“I don’t have an exact answer why we’re .500 at home,” he said. “But we’ve got to be better.”
With the loss, the second-seeded Celtics squandered the home-court advantage they earned by finishing 13 games ahead of Miami in the regular season.
