Joe Murray · Beasley Media Group

Celtics fall apart in 4th quarter // Tatum and Brown rusty together - 3/23/26

March 23, 2026·27 min·2 clips

Joe Murray says Jason Tatum has looked rusty and the Celtics are adjusting to who should be the guy in the fourth quarter.

One game, but it stuck around. Joe Murray starts with station housekeeping, since baseball season is pushing the show out of its full time slot. Then the Celtics become the whole conversation. Murray is stuck on a fourth quarter where they had a one-point lead, missed 12 straight shots, and went five minutes without scoring. That is the part he cannot let go. He pushes back on making it a personal Tatum-and-Brown thing. His issue is flow, pace, and who actually wanted the ball late. Brown's rim pressure looked obvious to him. Murray says the offense had better life when Jalen Brown put his head down, got downhill, and forced contact in the paint. Tatum still gets his respect. Murray repeats that Tatum has been putting up huge numbers, but last night's fourth quarter was not close to good enough. The numbers do not help. The Celtics lost the final quarter 26 to 15, and Murray keeps coming back to that stretch like a mistake sitting in the middle of the room. He blames confusion more than talent. To him, the Celtics looked caught between choices, with nobody clearly taking over after Tatum's scoreless first half turned into 16 points later. Joe Mazzulla gets pulled into it too. Murray gives him credit for the year, then says the late adjustments still needed to be sharper. He points to a prior fix that worked, rebounding and second-chance points with Luka Garza involved, and says the Timberwolves finish did not follow that kind of script. The Timberwolves get some credit for defending well, though Murray still cannot stomach Bones Hyland getting 23. Then the calls widen the room. One caller wants local sports radio to make space for St. John's and Duke on Friday night, because tournament talk still belongs next to Celtics angst around here.

As heard by us

A blunt Celtics postgame built on one bad fourth quarter and a live caller debate.

Joe Murray spends the show on Boston's fourth quarter mess, where the Celtics blew a one point lead, missed 12 straight shots, and never quite settled on who should take over.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the Celtics' ugly fourth quarter broken down with real frustration and no soft-pedaling.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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