TD Garden puts Kyrie Irving’s quote about quiet Game 1 crowd on video board
"I thought it was going to be a little louder in here.”
Kyrie Irving wasn’t very impressed with the decibel level at TD Garden for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
And the Celtics’ arena made sure to remind fans about Irving’s dig before Game 2 tipped off on Sunday night.
Even though Irving struggled in Game 1 (12 points on 6-of-19 shooting), he downplayed the impact that Boston’s crowd had on him Thursday night.
“Being in this environment, I’m used to it at this point,” Irving said. “Early in my career, it was a different relationship that I had with Boston … Just experiencing the playoffs here, even the regular season, it’s been the same thing. I thought it was going to be a little louder in here.”
Less than 20 minutes before Game 2 commenced on Causeway Street, TD Garden’s videoboard showcased a graphic with Irving’s face that displayed his quote about the Game 1 crowd.
As expected, it led to a chorus of boos from the Garden crowd — along with a loud “Kyrie Sucks!” chant that continued to sprout up whenever Irving had the ball in his hands on the parquet floor.
Even though Irving’s comments stood as obvious bulletin board material for Boston, Celtics star Jaylen Brown stressed ahead of Game 2 that the Celtics’ home crowd needed to bring even more energy after a convincing Game 1 victory.
“I thought the crowd was good,” Brown told reporters Saturday. “I think we can be a little bit better. So, I expect us to be even louder. Sunday, we are going to need our fans to be hyped.
“It’s not just team vs. team. It’s crowd vs. crowd. It’s gas station vs. gas station. Supermarket vs. supermarket. It’s the whole city vs. the whole city. We need everybody.”
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