Celtics players left stunned by owner's challenge following Game 3 loss to Heat: report

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Boston came out in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and laid an egg, putting the Celtics in an 0-3 hole against the Miami Heat. 

The 128-102 loss was a listless performance, putting the Celtics one game away from elimination in the NBA playoffs. 

Celtics starters sit on the bench as they lose Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat at the TD Garden in Boston, May 29, 2023. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

With the season teetering on the brink, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck reportedly entered the postgame locker room and "went off" on the team. 

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Grousbeck’s message to the team was to "play with some balls," leaving the locker room stunned, according to The Athletic. 

"(Grousbeck) was right, but we shouldn’t need that," Celtics forward Blake Griffin told The Athletic. "As soon as we got to the locker room, we were just so frustrated."

The message apparently did the trick, at least for the next three games. 

Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck watches his team lose Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat, 128-102. (Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Celtics became just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after falling down 0-3 in a series before their season came to a screeching halt on Monday, losing to Miami 103-84 as the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in four years. 

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While Boston managed to force a deciding game, their shooting failed them in the final two games of the series,