Luke Kornet Defends Celtics Fans Who Didn't Trust In Their Team And Left Arena Before The OT Win

In the wake of the Boston Celtics' thrilling overtime victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, center Luke Kornet offered a humorous and empathetic defense of the fans who left the arena early. During the tense closing moments of the fourth quarter, some fans exited TD Garden, missing Jaylen Brown’s game-tying three-pointer that ultimately led to the Celtics' 133-128 win.

"Speaking for myself and for my family, I know the 8:00 start time can be a little late and kids wake up at about the same time. You understand everyone’s making sacrifices to be there." 

"I mean, it was like a tough situation, but that’s basketball where you can just take one or two plays and be able to sneak out the win. I hope they were able to get their kids to school early and are able to get a better emotional, mental state to really hit the day running because sometimes you could be in a rough start the next two, three days." 

"If you’re tired, kids are tired. It’s gonna be a tough situation. It’s kind of like being able to make the reads of how much help do I give or how much do not. You’re always kind of in that position."