The Boston Celtics lost Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, and Kyrie Irving placed much of the blame on himself.
Irving struggled on Friday night, scoring 29 points on 8-of-22 shooting, including 2-of-8 from beyond the arc. After the game, the All-Star guard told Ben Golliver of the Washington Post that he needs to be better in the next game, especially in terms of being productive during pick-and-roll situations that result in a bigger defender switching on to the ball.
“I've got to be more efficient, especially when I'm getting downhill on those switches. I have to punish those guys. When I get a big on me, those guys with slow feet, I have to go right at them.”
Irving is usually excellent at taking advantage of opposing defenses, posting up on guards who are smaller than him and using his speed to score against taller defenders. However, that wasn't the case against the Bucks. He still got the shots that he wanted, but they were just not going in.
Irving cannot afford to have a similar performance in Game 4 on Monday if the Celtics want to have a chance at tying the series, especially since Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dominant against the past two contests, averaging 28.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.
The Celtics knew right from the beginning that the Bucks would be a tougher matchup compared to the Indiana Pacers, who they swept in the first round. They have already shown that they can stand their ground against arguably the best team in the East, but now they'll have to prove that they can be an even better team by beating Milwaukee and advancing to the Conference Finals.
Follow Us
Subscribe