Three takeaways from the Boston Celtics 107-88 Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors

(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Another consistent them for the Celtics has been the club’s remarkable ability to fall asleep at the wheel. Against Milwaukee and Miami, we saw Boston suffer massive single-quarter deficits. In many cases, these lapses were enough to cost the Celtics a win.

In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, we saw another one of those lopsided quarters. The Celtics did relatively okay compensating for their many turnovers, but a massive third-quarter explosion from the Warriors all but doomed any chance of Boston getting into gear.

The Dubs outscored the Celtics 35-14 in the third quarter of Game 2, punctuated by a devastating Jordan Poole three at the buzzer. As a result, the Celtics headed into the fourth down 24 points. The game was lost in twelve short minutes — almost all of the fourth quarter was garbage time.

The Warriors deserve credit here, of course. Steph Curry was particularly good in the third. But Boston looked bamboozled on offense, descending into frustrated one-on-one sets. No one seemed able or willing to get the offense in gear.

Whether head coach Ime Udoka, the team’s point guard Marcus Smart, or Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, someone has to be accountable for these sluggish quarters. It’s a worryingly reliable trend for the ’21-22 Boston Celtics, and one that was on full display in Game 2.