The Celtics had a good run, but it’s over now — with a series-ending 103-90 loss to the Golden State Warriors at the TD Garden Thursday night. It was a tough loss for a team full of young players and a first-year coach who fought their way from a losing record to a real shot at winning it all this year. GBH News sports reporter Esteban Bustillos joined Morning Edition hosts Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel to break down Game 6. This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
Alston: What happened? Where did things go wrong?
Esteban Bustillos: A lot of the same things, same issues they've had. They had 23 turnovers for 20 points. The Golden State had a 21-0 run between the first and second quarters. They took a 22-point lead in the third quarter. And you know, in a close-out game, in a deciding game they really didn't put their best foot forward.
Siegel: I saw fans still outside of the TD Garden on my drive into GBH this morning, which is like in the 2 a.m. hour, probably drowning some of their sorrows away. I can't imagine what this feels like for diehards. Like, I'm thinking of that dude who got a tattoo of a 2022 Celtics championship banner ahead of the series. For you being in there with fans in the Garden, what was the mood like?
Bustillos: The Celtics got booed at, at one point. Fans weren't happy with what was going on. But at the same time, you know, they they gave an ovation to the starters when they stepped off the floor. I think people realized just how hard this team has fought. Honestly, nobody took it harder than the players. And then you can hear here from Marcus Smart. He was dejected. He really took the loss hard. And I think a lot of the Celtics did. But they're hoping for more next season.
"I think people realized just how hard this team has fought. Honestly, nobody took it harder than the players."-GBH News sports reporter Esteban Bustillos
[Previously recorded]
Marcus Smart: You know, we got a taste of it and, you know, we want the whole thing. So I know for a fact that we're going to be back. A different team. We're going to put in the work. But this one's going to hurt.
[Recording ends]
Alston: And so speaking of coming back, Esteban, I mean, the C's are a young team in basketball years, especially when you put them next to the Warriors dynasty that's been winning championship after championship — this is their fourth in eight years. Jayson Tatum is only 24. Jaylen Brown's only 25. Marcus Smart, who we just heard there, is just 28. So what's next? I mean, I'm curious, is everybody coming back? Are we going to have the same team with sort of the same drive next year?
Bustillos: I don't know exactly what we're going to see next. Obviously, there's going to be a lot of moves being made in the off season around the NBA. I think in general, what we'll see is this team is going to learn. And I think one of the reactions, the hot-take reactions, is 'Jayson Tatum, he couldn't do it' or, all of these not-nuanced takes. What we saw from him in this series is was not the ceiling. His game is not a finished product. And we heard this from Coach Ime Udoka, talking about him after the game, is that he expects him to go further next year.
[Previously recorded]
Ime Udoka: For him it's just, continue to grow and understand that you're going to see this for the rest of your career. And this is just the start, but the growth he showed as a playmaker this year and in certain areas, I think this is a next step for him figuring that out and, you know, getting to where some of the veterans are that have seen everything and took their lumps early in their careers.
[Recording ends]
Siegel: Speaking of Ime Udoka, I mean, this being a young team, this is also a young coach. They're all really young. I mean, I know you said a lot is up in the air, but it just makes you wonder, are they the next Warriors? Is this a dynasty in the making?
Bustillos: It's yet to be seen. The hard part about all this for the Celtics is that every year your championship window is that year. You never know what's going to happen next. They're going into an East that's tougher than ever. The NBA just keeps getting better. So they can definitely do it. The question is, will they actually be able to in a league that continues to grow in the level of difficulty it takes to win a championship?
