The Boston Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Heat big man Bam Adebayo may have added insult to injury after Tuesday night's showdown.
Adebayo's postgame press conference seemed innocent on the surface, but there's a chance he threw some shade the Celtics' way. Asked about Miami's dominant third quarter, he made some familiar comments that aren't sitting well with C's fans.
Celtics-Heat takeaways: Disastrous third quarter costs C's in Game 1
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"I feel like our energy shifted," Adebayo said. "That was the biggest key. Our energy shifted. We started getting stops on defense and running, getting in transition and the crowd got into it."
Why is that quote such a big deal, you ask? Well, it could be a coincidence, but it sure seems Adebayo is mocking Celtics star Jaylen Brown's famous "the energy is about to shift" tweet from earlier in the season. The tweet has been referenced as the turning point in the Celtics' 2021-22 season, and Boston has since turned it into a mantra.
Even if Adebayo meant nothing by it, you can bet the Celtics will use his quote as bulletin-board material going forward. They'll take all the extra motivation they can get following their brutal 118-107 loss in Game 1.
Adebayo had 10 points, four rebounds and four blocks on Tuesday night. Brown finished with 24 points (7-17 FG) and 10 boards.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics will hope the energy shifts back in their favor for Game 2, which is set for 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday at FTX Arena. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live right here on NBC Sports Boston.