"Beatdown at the beach"- Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley wreck the Celtics after a humiliating Game 3 loss
Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley thrashed the Boston Celtics for their 128-102 Game 3 loss to the Miami Heat in the conference finals. The Celtics are down 3-0 after Sunday's loss, staring at the exit door in the 2023 playoffs.
Boston arguably has the best roster in the NBA this season. They also had the best odds among the four remaining teams to win the chip. However, it's unlikely that they will turn things around against Miami after incurring a 3-0 deficit. O'Neal and Barkley didn't hold their thoughts while reflecting on the Game 3 loss on "Inside The NBA."
"I'm embarrassed as a Celtic fan right now," said Barkley.
"Yeah, that was bad. Beat down, beat down at the beach," Shaq chimed in.
The Celtics were humiliated by the Heat on the road. That was unexpected as many believed Boston would come out swinging after failing to protect homecourt advantage in the opening two games of the series.
The 17-time champions looked lifeless from the get-go. They were down eight after the first quarter, and the deficit only increased with the Heat taking a 15-point lead into halftime. The second half was even worse for Boston as the Heat put the game to bed in the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 32-17 in that period, taking a 30-point advantage.
Boston committed 15 turnovers during the contest. They had no response to Miami's hot shooting night as they went 19-of-35 from deep. Jayson Tatum and company, meanwhile, made 11-of-42 shots from distance.
Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley couldn't stop mocking Celtics
Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley aren't among those known to keep their tone in check when being critical of teams and players. The Boston Celtics warranted the Hall of Fame duo's trash-talking after their miserable Game 3 performance.
O'Neal came up with a sly dig at Boston as he engaged in a conversation with co-host Ernie Johnson.
"I got a question... Since the Celtics quit, can we quit?" said Shaq.
Barkley went a step ahead when taking a shot at the Celtics. The TNT crew invited Game 3's MVP, Gabe Vincent, for an interview after the game, who maintained that Boston is still a threat despite the Heat's 3-0 advantage, saying:
"Whether we're home or on the road it's gonna be a battle. They're a really good team, they are a well-coached team, they got stars and they're not gonna lay down."
Charles Barkley hilariously disagreed with Vincent, responding:
"Clearly you didn't watch the game tonight. Well coached and don't lay down? Go look at the tape again."
Vincent: "[The Celtics] are a really good team...they're not gonna lay down."
Chuck: "Clearly you didn't watch the game tonight. ...Go look at the tape again." 😂 https://t.co/ipZZRWdSDK
Boston will be in an elimination game on the road in Game 4 on Tuesday. They don't seem as engaged or focused after losing the first three games, and these factors point toward them potentially getting swept.