The Celtics Deserved a Better Ending

It was a great season by the Boston Celtics that ended on a sour note

“It’s a sour ending to an otherwise really good season.”

That’s what Brad Stevens told CSN following the Boston Celtics Game 6 loss against the Atlanta Hawks that ended their season on Thursday night.

The head coach of the Celtics couldn’t sum up their season any better. In a season where the Celtics improved by eight games, nearly clinched home-court advantage in the first round and finished tied for the third best record in the East, it was not the storybook ending Boston was hoping for. Not only did they fail to make it to the second round of the playoffs but they ended their season with two straight blowout losses.

The Celtics lost by 27-points in Game 5 and didn’t show up for Game 6 when their backs were up against the wall. They ended up losing 104-to-92, however, surrendered 39 third quarter points and trailed by 28-points at one point. Their offense went missing again after it reappeared for Games 3 and 4. Isaiah Thomas also had one of his worst games of the season in Game 5 and followed it up with a slow start to Game 6.

It’s easy to look at the disappointments that took place in their first round series with Atlanta. The fact that they lost Avery Bradley and were forced to give significant playing time to rookies Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter. Or that Boston barely got any production out of Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk in all six games. Or that the Celtics were blown out in three of their four losses and didn’t show up until the second half in the game they only lost by one.

It’s a shame that they ended their season on a sour note like this because Boston was one of the best teams in the NBA for a couple of weeks in the regular season. This young team was able to make strides that no one expected from them this season and hopefully people realize that this team was a lot better than what they showed in the playoffs.

Using the excuse of not being 100 percent healthy could be used but it shouldn’t because it would only take away from the season the Celtics had. The Atlanta Hawks were just the more experienced and better team. Brad Stevens didn’t use any excuses when he told the media, “They’re just better than us right now. It pains me to say it.” It was clear from the start of the series that Atlanta had been here before and knew what it took to win in the playoffs.

The ending may not have been what Boston was hoping for but it doesn’t take away from the progress they made as a team. For a team to almost clinch the third seed in the East when some people didn’t expect them in the playoffs is remarkable.

Boston also improved their scoring (101.4 to 105.7 PPG), pace (95.8 to 98.5), offensive (104.7 to 106.8) and defensive (104.5 to 103.6) rating this season from last.

Not to mention that everyone on their team took huge strides this season, as well. Obviously, Isaiah Thomas is leaps and bounds ahead of where he was last season. However, players like Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder had career-years, while Evan Turner was able to re-establish himself as a formidable reserve in this league and has set himself up for a nice payday. It’s a young team that exceeded expectations and were able to not only improve and surprise everybody, but do it without blowing up their future.

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It doesn’t seem right for a team that had as exciting and productive of a season as the Celtics did to end the way it did. But sometimes that’s how it works out. They didn’t give up until the end – making a run at the Hawks late in the fourth quarter – which exemplifies the type of team they were. Marcus Smart agrees as he told reporters, “We just played hard. Our fight. I think that’s what everybody’s going to remember, is our fight.”

Sure, having Boston raise banner #18 up to the rafters would have been amazing. Having them put up a fight against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round would have been swell as well. Instead the Celtics ended their season with back-to-back blowout losses, but that shouldn’t take away from the season they had.

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The Celtics did deserve a better ending but sometimes that’s not how it works out.