Business left unfinished: Three thoughts on Boston’s 103-84 Game 7 loss

Across the board, it was an icy start for the Celtics. Boston shot 38.6% from the field and went 4-for-21 on 3-pointers, with 7 turnovers to boot in the first half. The home team looked out of sorts early, dropping a season-low 41 points at halftime.

The second half looked a lot like the first. Save a 13-point scoring outburst from Derrick White in the third period, Boston’s offense was clunky and ineffective. For the game, the Celtics shot 9-for-42, the fourth game of the series where they shot below 30% from deep. Coughing up 15 turnovers didn’t help either.

Boston lost Game 7 of the 2018 East Finals in an eerily familiar fashion. The Celtics traded blows with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a grueling series, only to shoot a paltry 7-for-39 from deep in the final game. Tonight’s action had an similar feel, with the Celtics unable to get into gear.

It’s a make or miss league, as they say. But it’s also a league where star power is the ultimate currency.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had miserable nights. Tatum logged 14 points, far too few to get Boston over the hump. Brown, meanwhile, finished with just 19 points and 8 turnovers. Boston had a chance to do the impossible in Game 7, but instead the two Celtics stars came up short.