Marcus Smart talks about his message to Jayson Tatum and he struggles to find a rhythm in the NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics' offense failed to execute at the worst possible time in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals, and it resulted in the Golden State Warriors taking control in the fourth quarter en route to a 107-97 win to even the series.
After taking a 91-86 lead with 7:32 remaining, the Celtics were outscored 21-6 the rest of the night. Boston shot 2-of-12 from the field over that span.
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SIGN UP HERE What happened to the offensive execution at such a critical juncture in the game?
"Offensively, stalled out a little bit," Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said in his postgame press conference. "We got some good looks from three. But other than the one that Al made -- I wouldn't say we got stagnant.
"We did get some good shots off, but we would like to get a little bit more downhill and get some things to the rim and kick out. Credit to them. They stepped up defensively when it counted. Our offense wasn't as sharp as it needed to be, no doubt."
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A couple of things plagued the Celtics. The ball movement was not crisp enough. Celtics players were often standing around and not coming to the ball. Too many possessions ended with isolation play at the end of the shot clock. Boston also didn't attack the offensive glass very well. Golden State had a 16-11 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 19-12 edge in second-chance points.
"We had plenty of opportunities," Udoka said. "Every time we got a five-, six-point lead, it felt like we made some poor decisions, whether it was rushed shots in traffic or standing around and looking at each other a little bit there. Not sure if we tried to pick on mismatches too much. Got stalled out a little bit.
"When we did run off-ball actions and got some movement, we got some really good looks. We wanted to get the ball up quick and get into an offense. If we don't have anything, still make them work the clock. A lot of times it felt like we were standing around, unsure of who we were trying to go after, and it led to those stalled-down possessions."
Smart reveals message to Tatum amid Finals slump
The Celtics failed to take a 3-1 series lead, and now the Finals is tied with the Warriors stealing back the home-court advantage. This Celtics team, for whatever reason(s), refuses to take the easy road. But they've responded well to adversity throughout the playoffs with a 7-0 record after losses. Boston needs to show that same resiliency Monday night in Golden State to avoid trailing in the series.
"That's gone along with our season, especially this postseason. We had to do it the difficult way," Udoka said. "We have been battle-tested throughout some series, Milwaukee, Miami. We have to do it again.
"It could have been an easier road, obviously, if you get the win tonight. But it is what it is. We're 2-2 now. We know we can do it. We've done it before. Keep your head up and let's go get one on the road."
