On January 11, the Boston Celtics played the Milwaukee Bucks, and things did not go well. By halftime, the Bucks had a 38-point lead, and the game was all but over. TNT figured as much when they explained to viewers why they switched their coverage to the Dallas Mavericks-New York Knicks game.
Fans had various reactions to TNT’s unexpected decision. One person raised the problem before the Celtics-Bucks game, tweeting, “NBA gotta stop having national TV games when a team is on the second leg of a back to back.” This referred to the Celtics being on the tail end of a back-to-back when they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves prior.
A Celtics fan appreciated TNT’s choice, writing, “I don’t blame them, and this comes from a Celtics fan.”
Another fan criticized the station for not airing Bucks blowouts, writing, “When the bucks were destroying the heat a couple years ago, TNT cut away from the game to just show Steph Curry warming up for the next game.” They don’t do this for any other club, yet they can’t air any of the Bucks’ blowout victories in full.”
The channel then switched back to the Celtics-Bucks game for the whole fourth quarter.
TNT’s Charles Barkley Makes Bold Claims About Celtics
Before the Celtics faced the Bucks, NBA Hall of Famer and TNT contributor Charles Barkley talked highly of Boston.
“No disrespect to the champion Nuggets or the Los Angeles Clippers. These are the NBA’s second and third best teams. Nobody in the NBA is now on the same level as the Boston Celtics. They’re the best team. “I think they’re the best team by far,” Barkley stated during NBA on TNT’s pregame, according to NBA on TNT’s X account.
Barkley’s view came at a horrible moment, as the Celtics lost by 33 points to the Bucks. Even with the setback, the Celtics remain three games ahead of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were also fatigued. They were not only playing a back-to-back, but also their sixth game in seven nights.
Jrue Holiday’s Thoughts on Second-Half Benching During the second half, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla opted to bench the starters. Jrue Holiday, who played his first game back in Milwaukee since being traded, reacted to Mazzulla benching him and the others.
“He asked us, and, you know, we wanted to fight,” Holiday told reporters on the NBC Sports Boston YouTube Channel. “We wanted to stay in there and play, but sometimes as coaches or players, you have to listen to your coaches as well. So I thank Joe for that. Because, as a coach, I believe he genuinely cares about our well-being. And he understands that we will fight till the end, no matter what the score is.
Mazzulla’s action may have influenced TNT’s decision to momentarily pause airing the game because none of the Celtics’ studs were playing. However, because the Bucks had an insurmountable advantage, Mazzulla clearly opted to end their night early.
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