CHICAGO - Angry voices screaming. Chairs flying. And blame bouncing off the thin walls.
That, according to The Boston Globe, was the scene inside the locker room after the Celtics, for the second time in as many games, surrendered a double-digit lead and lost to the Miami Heat, this time in a disheartening 106-101 finale.
"It was nothing," Kemba Walker said to dismiss the bad audio that leaked out of the Boston locker and shrieking into the narrow hallways of the NBA bubble in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Lovers split. Married couples divorce. And families go through strains and pains. Happens all the time.
But this can't happen to the Celtics.
They need to fight the Heat, not each other. And if they can't handle the prosperity of big leads, how can they survive the animosity of team conflict?
Celtics coach Brad Stevens is known for his Xs and Os. But his East Finals success now badly needs a "P" as in peace among the ranks. And he has less than 40 hours to mend broken hearts and broken fences.
Otherwise, Boston's quest for a 22nd NBA Finals appearance will get ugly in a hurry.
While the Celtics appear to be on the verge of implosion, the Heat are blossoming into a one cohesive unit, 13 guys pulling on one rope. Unbreakable. Unbeatable.
"I was having a tough first half and I'm in my head, I'm thinking about other things and, you know, my teammates kept talking to me, so you've just got to have trust." Bam Adebayo told The Miami Herald.
After a lousy two quarters, the Heat big man scored 15 in Miami's 37-point third-quarter surge, a barrage that wiped out a 13-point halftime deficit. After a lethargic start, Adebayo finished with a strong 21 points and 10 rebounds.
For the second time in as many games, the Heat have beaten the stunned Celtics. They might have broken them, too.
"The guys have grit, but you have to do things well," said Heat coach Erick Spoelstra.
THEY SURE DID.
Struggling with just 38.3 percent of their shots made in the first half, the Heat came alive in the second half with a 51.2 percent clip.
And their defense was dominant yet again. After shooting 58.1 percent in the first two quarters, the Celtics dipped to just 37.9 percent in the second half and the Heat held them to 17 points in the third quarter.
The Heat's 2-3 zone, which is heavy and long at the top, disrupted Boston's offensive flow, forcing the Celtics to cough up 20 turnovers. Jayson Tatum was limited to 21 points and only 12 field goals while Kemba Walker, who bounced back from a poor Game 1 effort with a solid 23 points in Game 2, went 4-of-11 from deep.
Miami's offense, meanwhile, thrived like a healthy democracy.
Goran Dragic had five dimes and 25 points. Duncan Robinson tallied 18 solely on the strength of six 3s. And Tyler Herro was all over the court, littering the floor with 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Jimmy Butler, who had four rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes, missed seven of 11 shots but his 14 points were what coach Spo referred to as 14 "impactful" points.
Still, it was on defense where Butler really made his mark.
He had four steals including two in the last 88 seconds. That's not just grit and desire. It's grand theft hustle.
Now 10-1 in the playoffs, the Heat are two games away from the NBA Finals. Coach Spo is 10-0 and the Heat are 16-0 all time when holding a 2-0 series lead.
The Greek seers have a term for this. They call it a good omen.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph