At the end of the Boston Celtics' 105-103 loss to the Orlando Magic, Kyrie Irving was extremely upset at teammate Gordon Hayward during the final seconds of the game.
With 2.9 seconds left, the Celtics had a chance to tie the game. Hayward, who was responsible for the inbounds pass, saw a cutting Jayson Tatum and gave the ball to him. Tatum then attempted a tightly contested jumper that bounced off the rim at the end of regulation.
A frustrated Kyrie Irving then immediately went to Gordon Hayward to demand answers, the latter tried to defend his decision but the former walked straight to the locker room.
Irving clearly had another play in mind, and according to Celtics reporter Chris Forsberg, Hayward believes their miscommunication is the main reason why the All-Star guard was visibly upset after the game.
Hayward said he thinks Kyrie would have preferred the inbound went to Al Horford, who could have potentially gotten Irving the bell with a head of steam. But both Hayward and Horford said that felt Tatum got a good look.
Players more worried about continued inconsistencies.
Al Horford was at the top of the key, willing to receive the ball before Hayward eventually passed it to Tatum. Two things could've happened there: either Horford quickly handed the ball to Irving for a 3-pointer or he could've shot the ball himself as he's a 35 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
However, it is tough to question Hayward's decision in that play, as he opted to go for a higher percentage shot that could have sent the game to overtime rather than a 3-pointer that could've won the game for Boston.
Regardless, the Celtics are in a tight spot. They can't seem to figure out how to win on a consistent basis, and their concerns are seemingly growing inside their locker room.
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