Magic Johnson. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Lakers legend accuses Celtics of quitting, calls for 'major changes'

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 5/22/23

The Boston Celtics technically still have a chance, albeit a longshot. After a 128-102 loss to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in Game 3, the C's now sit one game away from postseason elimination. No team in NBA history has ever prevailed in a playoff series after dropping the first three games.

Boston was no stranger to ridicule on Sunday night following their lifeless performance. Fans and pundits alike ripped into the sinking Celtics, condemning them for their uninspiring level of effort and lack of defensive identity. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson joined in on the derision, accusing his once-vaunted rivals of quitting.

“In my 44 years of being associated with the NBA I never thought I’d see a Boston Celtics team, a franchise with 17 Championships, quit,” Johnson wrote on Twitter. "I know Celtics fans all over the world must be disgusted and devastated. The Miami Heat blew them out 128-102 in Game 3."

The Celtics clearly entered halftime dejected, trailing Miami by 15 points after 24 minutes of play. Any hopes of them emerging from the locker room primed to claw their way back quickly faded in the third quarter, where the Heat outscored Boston 32-17.

Jimmy Butler calls timeout for the Celtics

Heat by 23 over Boston in the 3rd quarter! pic.twitter.com/8UNiaCCrSz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 22, 2023

After finishing the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the East, the Celtics look destined to once again fall short of their NBA title hopes. Boston's lackluster performance in this series has left many to question whether the team's current makeup is conducive to putting them over the top.

In a separate tweet, Johnson called for a shakeup, claiming “It’s time for the Boston Celtics to make major changes.”

Aside from fans questioning Joe Mazzulla's long-term standing as the team's head coach, the most obvious change Boston could make this offseason is to break up the star-studded duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Jayson Tatum:
14 Points - 6/18 FGM - 1/7 3PM

Jaylen Brown:
12 Points - 6/17 FGM - 0/7 3PM pic.twitter.com/ifFdeKJDB2
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 22, 2023

Doubts of the Jays' fit alongside one another have been a common occurrence in Celtics circles for years. While each is abundantly talented, there are legitimate questions on whether the one-two punch will ever be able to help Boston hang banner No. 18 in the rafters. Combining for just 26 points in Sunday's routing by the Heat will only strengthen those questions.

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