DALLAS — The champagne stayed on ice. The ghost of Red Auerbach’s cigar remains unlit and the Larry O’Brien Trophy is getting back on a plane. There was no sweep and the NBA Finals are shipping back up to Boston.
The Celtics, who hadn’t lost a game in over a month, laid an egg, a Texas-sized rotten stinker and got bulldozed, 122-84. The increased number of Boston fans in the crowd were boisterous early, but silenced quickly.
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The Celtics didn’t defend. They didn’t rebound. They didn’t pass effectively and they didn’t shoot very well. They played like they expected a coronation and got a confrontation instead. Their starters got drubbed. Their rotations reserves got drubbed and the mop-up crew got drubbed.
“I think winning at any game is hard. But winning Game 4 of the NBA Finals is pretty damn hard,” Jrue Holiday said. “I think they came out desperate and I think they punched us in the mouth, and we couldn’t kind of recover the way we wanted to.”
Jason Kidd said what everyone was thinking.
“Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate,” he said. “We were desperate. … They let go of the rope pretty early.”
It was either the pebble that started the avalanche or a hiccup that will be long-forgotten down the road.
Despite being in the midst of a historic run of regular season and playoff success, the Celtics’ recent history of failing to close out games and series has prevented the nagging doubt surrounding them from being totally eradicated.
Friday’s game made those voices of doubt get just a little louder. The final margin might actually work in Boston’s favor. If they lost by four, they could blow it off. Falling behind by 48 has to get their attention.
But the game gave the Mavericks momentum, hope and presumably a shot of confidence. The same group that sounded defeated after practice on Thursday suddenly has spring in its step.
Despite being officially available in ‘very specific instances,’ Kristaps Porzinigis never played. It wasn’t clear what those circumstances were, but not surprisingly they weren’t in the first half of a game the Celtics trailed by 25. It got out of hand so quickly in the first half, it’s not like it would have been worth trying him as a momentum spark.
So what he has to offer remains a mystery.
If the Celtics shake it off and win Game 5, the loss might actually be a fun development. Winning at home and celebrating in Boston in front of the crowd on TD Garden parquet would be a special experience, and certainly nice for anyone who spent big money on a ticket. The game would be on the anniversary of the last time the Celtics won just for good measure.
But if they lose Monday night, suddenly all the questions about the Celtics’ toughness and poise will come storming back. Boston can’t wait until its backs are against the wall to play urgently. They don’t want to come back to Dallas. They don’t want a week of having their heart doubted and they don’t want to open the door any further than it already is.
“These are the moments that can make you or break you. We have to reassemble. We have to look at it and learn from it, and then we’ve got to embrace it and attack it,” Jaylen Brown said. “It’s going to be hard to do what we’re trying to do. We didn’t expect anything to be easy, but it’s no reason to lose our head. Tip your cap to Dallas. They came out and played well, and we’ve just got to be better on the next one.”
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
