The Boston Celtics had the opportunity to book their ticket to the NBA Finals in front of the hometown faithful on Friday night, but they failed to do so in a 111-103 loss to the Miami Heat.

Ime Udoka discussed what really went wrong for his squad and put a strong emphasis on the Celtics' poor start.

Via Chris Mannix:

Udoka says Boston's starts have been a problem. “Playing behind the eight-ball most of the game,” Udoka said of Game 6. Says he wants to see Boston apply pressure early, similar to Game 7 against Milwaukee.

The first quarter typically sets the tone for the entire contest. The Celtics were down early and Miami outscored them 29-22 in that opening period. In fact, Boston trailed for most of the game, having a brief four-point lead at one point. Udoka is right, though. Playing catch-up is never a recipe for success, especially in the playoffs against a fantastic team like the Heat.

In Game 7 against the Bucks, the Celtics actually got off to a slow start but ran riot on Milwaukee in the final three quarters. Boston should be feeling confident heading into Sunday's do-or-die matchup though, going 5-0 in games after losses. Jayson Tatum is also averaging over 32 points per night in those appearances.

It's go time.