The Kaseya Center saw a reckoning – one they were rooting for. Fueled by the moving energy of the crowd, the Miami Heat dismantled the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game was never close, with the Heat unlocking a gear Boston wasn’t prepared for.?After the game, one of the Heat stars joined Inside the NBA to speak about the matchup. While he didn’t underestimate the Celtics’ chances of coming back in the series, Charles Barkley made it his own responsibility to expose what he saw.
The Jimmy Butler-led team won by 26 points, taking a commanding 3-0 advantage in the series. While Butler only had 16 points tonight, Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson had their best performances during these playoffs with 29 and 22 points, respectively.
Charles Barkley destroys the Boston Celtics
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Miami Heat had all their weapons firing tonight. It wasn’t the typical Jimmy Butler elegance they have relied on so heavily this postseason. Tonight, it was their point guard who fought and earned his way to the starting spot, Gabe Vincent. Similarly to most of the Heat players, he was an overlooked prospect going undrafted in 2018. Playing with a chip on his shoulder, the 26-year-old showed out tonight.
In Game 2, he hit the dagger to put the Celtics’ green flame away. Tonight, he turned it up a notch, scoring a playoff career-high 29 points on video game efficiency. There was no stopping Vincent as he relentlessly scored. Even Caleb Martin followed his 25 points with another sensational 18-point game off the bench tonight.
After the sublime night, Vincent joined the crew to discuss the series. The Heat might have the 3-0 lead, but the star of the night knows Boston’s starvation to be back in the NBA Finals. “They’re a really good team, a well-coached team, they got stars. They’re not gonna lay down. We gotta come in & handle business,? said Vincent to the Inside The NBA crew.
But for some reason, Charles Barkley seemed puzzled by Vincent’s mentality. “Yeah, clearly you didn’t watch the game tonight,” said the Hall of Famer, openly mocking the Celtics.
“Come in well-coached and don’t lay down? Go look at the tape again,” Barkley told the Miami Heat star who immediately cracked up sitting beside Shaquille O’Neal.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Gabe Vincent on Celtics: “They're a really good team, a well-coached team. They got stars. They're not gonna lay down. We gotta come in & handle business.”
Charles Barkley: “Yeah, clearly you didn't watch the game tonight… Go look at the tape again.” 🤣pic.twitter.com/e5EKKqOTY0
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 22, 2023
Much of what Barkley says comes from the Celtics’ show tonight. No one on the team scored over 15 points. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, their star tandem, combined for 26 points on the night they desperately needed a victory. With a 3-0 lead, history favors the Heat – no one has ever come back from such a deficit.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Now it is all up to the Celtics. Will they lead the charge or is Charles Barkley right to see what he did? Let us know your views in the comments below.