NBA fans didn’t agree with Shannon Sharpe’s latest take on the Boston Celtics.
NFL icon Sharpe, 54, went on a two-minute rant about the Celtics during Monday’s edition of ESPN’s First Take.
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The Celtics have a 3-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Two of Boston’s wins came when Indiana blew two leads, the most recent in Game 3 when the Celtics rallied after giving up 18 points in the third quarter.
Sitting alongside Stephen A. Smith at the ESPN studios in Los Angeles, Sharpe revealed that he doesn’t think the Pacers should be one loss away from being swept in the ECF.
“The Pacers have been really bad in clutch situations,” Sharpe said.
“Right now, Stephen A., the Pacers should be up 2-1.
“They delivered Game 1… They delivered Game 3.”
Sharpe acknowledged the Celtics’ efforts to come back in both games, specifically Jrue Holliday and his 28-point game in the first comeback victory, as well as his defensive contributions throughout the series.
But the NFL Hall of Famer doesn’t believe Boston’s talent to get back into the game isn’t sustainable, especially if they play the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
“If you lose 18 to the Dallas Mavericks, you’re not coming back,” Sharpe said.
The Mavericks also have a 3-0 lead in the conference finals and are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals.
On social media, NBA fans were furious about Sharpe’s lack of credit for the Boston team.
“They are literally running out of things to say,” wrote one.
“Why do other teams get credit for winning games they were losing, but we get beat up for it?” a Celtics fan asked
“Give us credit,” another Celtics fan commented.
Sharpe isn’t done with his Celtics rant yet, as he called their playoff run “easy.”
He cited the fact that the Celtics were without numerous stars due to injuries, including the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler, the Cleveland Cavalier’s Donavon Mitchel and the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton.
Sharpe ended his speech by saying the Celtics may find it more difficult to come back in a potential NBA Finals matchup with the Mavericks due to their style of play, as well as Dallas stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing because they keep falling behind by 15 points and relying on three-point shots to get back into the game,” Sharpe said.
“I don’t know if they can do that against the Dallas Mavericks.”
The Celtics will play a potentially series-deciding Game 4 with the Pacers on Monday night in Indiana.
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