This postgame recap was written by Alex Kungu.
There’s plenty of times when a team’s biggest opponent is themselves, and tonight was it for the Celtics. After going up by as much as 24 in the first, the team completely lost its mojo in the second quarter and allowed their lead to shrink to as small as four before Kyrie & Hayward hit some timely baskets to push the lead to double-digits. The scare was short-lived. Irving, Morris, Tatum, and Hayward brought their A games, but it was Williams who stole the show in the third with some highlight blocks that infused some life on the bench and in the arena.