Celtics can’t hold onto home-court edge on once-fearsome parquet floor
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) falls to the court in the first half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals playoff series against the Miami Heat in Boston, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michael Dwyer]
BOSTON (AP) — Once so prodigious on their parquet floor, the Boston Celtics can’t seem to squeeze out a home-court advantage during these playoffs. The franchise that once went 40-1 at home over an entire season fell to .500 at the TD Garden in the playoffs this year with a 123-116 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. With the loss, the second-seeded Celtics squandered the home-court advantage they earned by finishing 13 games ahead of Miami in the regular season. Not that it matters: the Celtics weren’t able to hold it in either of their previous playoff series, needing a pair of road wins against Atlanta and Philadelphia to advance.
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Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry (7) falls to the floor whale battling for the ball with Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, right, and center Al Horford in the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals playoff series in Boston, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michael Dwyer