‘It’s going to hurt’: Despite final disappointment, Celtics see bright future
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June 8, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka reacts in the second quarter during Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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June 16 (Reuters) – Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka consoled his young team after losing the NBA Finals on Thursday, saying the pain will ease and better days are ahead .
The Celtics suffered a 103-90 home loss to the Golden State Warriors to lose a best-of-seven series 4-2 and Udoka said there was no escaping the pain.
“It’s going to hurt. It’s going to hurt for a while,” Udoka said when asked what his message to his team was.
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“That was part of the message. Let it propel us forward, the experience. Reaching your ultimate goal and missing a few games is going to hurt.
“The biggest message was, learn from this, grow from this, take this experience and see that there is another level to be reached.”
The Celtics had youth, size and athleticism on their side, but the experienced Warriors, who won their fourth title in eight years, kept their cool in the series’ biggest moments to win the last three. matches.
“A team like Golden State that’s been there, did it. It was obvious in a lot of ways.
“Don’t come back like the players, the coaching staff. Let that fuel you through the offseason until next year.”
The Celtics started the season 18-22 but snapped when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown found their rhythm on offense and their switching defense became the best in the league to claim the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
After getting off to a strong start on Thursday, the Celtics’ Achilles’ heel was once again exposed, their 23 turnovers taking their breath away. They also gave up 15 offensive rebounds to the Warriors.
“We went through hell to get here,” guard Marcus Smart said.
“We haven’t played our best basketball, our best streak. It’s probably our worst streak.
“But we are young and the things we went through to get here showed us what we need to do in the future. I think that’s why we have faith in the future.”
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Editing by Peter Rutherford
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