BREAKING NEWS: Charles Barkley Sent ‘HARSH MESSAGE TO BOSTON CELTICS’

The Boston Celtics’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night did not go as planned. Following the match, Charles Barkley was unreserved in his criticism on Inside the NBA.

Boston was defeated by the Lakers 114-105 in a game that was closer than the score suggests. After taking a dominating 60-46 lead at the half, Los Angeles easily won. The absence of Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis worsened the defeat for Boston. Ernie Johnson, Barkley’s co-host on Inside the NBA, questioned him after the game about whether it was the Celtics’ worst loss of the year. It was evident in his response.

Barkley stated, “The Nuggets and the Clippers, those other two teams, they’re contenders. They’re the only two teams to defeat the Celtics at TD Garden this season.” Reggie Miller remarked, “But to lose against a team without LeBron and AD, I stated that at halftime, Ernie. The mental toughness of my Celtics worries me a lot. Talent can help you win games. However, toughness is the key to winning playoff games. You must possess mental toughness. The ball needs to be looked after by you. And I think this team has a tonne of talent. But they’re mentally weak.”

“Mentally weak” is not a criticism that should be thrown around lightly. And to be fair to Barkley, it’s impossible to argue with his comment.

Having won their first 20 home games of the season, the Celtics were virtually untouchable in Boston for the majority of the year. They have lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and now the Lakers in less than two weeks. Furthermore, two of the best teams in the Western Conference are the Nuggets and the Clippers. The Lakers were 24-25 on the season going into Thursday night’s game in addition to playing without James and Davis.

Thankfully, with a 37-12 record, the Celtics continue to own the best record in the NBA. However, if Barkley is right and mental toughness is a problem, there won’t be a simple solution by the postseason.