McCarthy: Kyrie Irving and the Celtics have quit
May 6, 2019; Boston, MA: Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving reacts during the second half in Game 4 of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden. (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)
By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The clock had not yet run out when Kyrie Irving walked off the floor near the end of Monday night’s Game 4 between the Celtics and the Bucks.
But make no mistake about it: Irving and the Celtics had checked out long before the final seconds ticked off the clock.
The Green quit in Game 4. They were run out of the gym in back-to-back games at home and turned in yet another lackluster, lethargic, and lousy second half effort Monday.
In the end, it probably doesn’t matter if Irving stuck around for the final seconds. It’s not a good look, but good looks don’t change the scoreboard.
The result was a foregone conclusion, just like the impending demise of the 2019 Celtics.
It’s over.
The C’s will not come back from this 3-1 deficit. To win three games in a row against the team with the best record in the NBA, you need character, determination, toughness, togetherness, leadership, and a will to win.
This Celtics team has none of those traits.
Anybody who watched the Celtics all year long shouldn’t be surprised by this. Whenever they faced adversity, they folded up shop. This outcome was predictable, but nonetheless astounding. It never should have been this way. The Celtics have too much talent to be this disappointing.
In the end, it turns out they didn’t have the intangibles to win, and the man who claimed he would lead his team to victory wasn’t capable of that.
May 6, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
In February, Irving claimed the Celtics would be just fine when they got to the playoffs. Why?
“Because I’m here,” he confidently stated.
So much for that. Kyrie has been exposed as nothing more than a false prophet.
When asked by Chris Gasper of The Boston Globe about his 19-for-62 performance from the field over the last three games, Irving couldn’t have been more dismissive.
“Who cares?” Irving said, before saying he should have taken 30 shots Monday night because he is “that great of a shooter.”
Go ahead, keep shooting, Kyrie. Your shots have proven to be as empty as your words.
He’s checked out. He’s gone. Enjoy New York.
The Celtics aren’t better because Irving is here. It turns out somehow, someway, they’re worse with him around. They beat the Bucks without him last year. They won’t do that this year. Go figure.
This series has been the perfect encapsulation of this miserable season. It started with hope and promise with a dominating Game 1 performance, before it slowly disintegrated into a disastrous mess.
There’s no salvaging this now. The 2019 Celtics have been an abysmal product to watch. Mercifully, we won’t have to watch much more of this group.
Just end it, please. I quit on this team.
Just like Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Celtics quit on this season.
You can hear Matt McCarthy on various 98.5 The Sports Hub programs. Follow him on Twitter @MattMcCarthy985.
