Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals was, by most all accounts, rough. It was a rock fight that ground on until eventually, the Miami Heat pulled away, leaving the Boston Celtics with no response. But things got cloudy quickly for the Cs.
On the game’s first possession, Celtics star Jayson Tatum badly rolled his ankle.
While it might be easier, or at least simpler, to point to this as the reason for the team’s demise, it wasn’t. It was unfortunate but, there were several greater factors that ultimately led to the Eastern Conference Finals loss.