Jayson Tatum's Celtics Slammed by Twitter for 'Embarrassing' Game 3 Loss to Heat

It was just a year ago that the Boston Celtics were competing for a championship against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. While that team fell short, it was clear that the Celtics were motivated to avenge that loss and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this year.

However, that determination appears to have completely disappeared from Boston, as the team put forth a lifeless performance in Sunday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on their way to a 128-102 loss at Kaseya Center. The Celtics now face the possibility of getting swept out of the playoffs after falling into a 3-0 hole.

Boston looked like a shell of the team that earned the No. 2 seed in the East during the regular season. The Celtics had no energy, fight or passion as they succumbed to an offensive barrage by the Heat that pretty much sealed the game by halftime. Boston trailed by as many as 33 points and allowed Miami to shoot 56.8 percent from the field and 54.3 percent from three-point range.

The Celtics star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had nothing going on Sunday, combining for just 26 points on 12-of-35 shooting. They shot a combined 9-of-24 in the first half. Meanwhile, six players scored in double figures for the Heat, led by 29 points from Gabe Vincent.

NBA Twitter did not hold back its disdain for Boston's performance in such a crucial game:jayson tat

The Celtics kept their core intact from last year's group, but it appears that they're starting to run out of gas. No team in NBA playoff history has been able to overcome a 3-0 deficit, and Boston doesn't look like it has enough fight to be the first.

The Celtics will have the chance to prove their critics wrong and save their season in Game 4 against the Heat on Tuesday night.