Kornet has hilarious reactions to C’s fans leaving Game 1 victory early originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics had just a 2.6 percent chance of winning Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night when the Indiana Pacers had possession and a three-point lead with just eight seconds left in regulation.
The dire conditions convinced some fans to head for the exits of TD Garden – a decision they might have regretted after Jaylen Brown forced a Pacers turnover on an inbounds pass and then hit a miraculous 3-pointer in the corner to to force overtime en route to a thrilling 133. -128 Celtics win.
The next day, Celtics big man Luke Kornet was asked if he had any reaction to fans leaving the Garden before Boston forced overtime. His answer should make any parent (or politician) proud.
“Speaking for myself and for my family, I know that the 8 a.m. start time can be a little late, and kids wake up around the same time. So you understand, everyone makes sacrifices to be there,” Kornet told reporters. Wednesday after the Celtics’ practice, as seen in the video above. “So that’s part of it.
“…I hope (those parents) were able to get their kids to school early and be in a better emotional and mental state to really get through the day. Because sometimes it can be hard (state) the next two or three days if you’re tired or if your kids are tired, so yeah, that can be a difficult situation.
Luke Kornet doesn’t begrudge Celtics fans for leaving the game early…kids can make that 8pm start challenging 😆 pic.twitter.com/DxNKARQkRr
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 22, 2024
That’s next-level empathy from Kornet — himself a father of two young children — who wisely chose not to call out Celtics fans for abandoning their team before the final whistle. The 28-year-old big man even jokingly compared his parents’ situation during late-season sporting events to his own defensive decision-making on the field.
“It’s a bit like you can read: how much help do I give or how much don’t I?” said Kornet, smiling. “You’re always in that position.”
Luckily for Kornet and the Celtics, the TD Garden crowd was exceptionally loud even during overtime, as Jayson Tatum scored 10 of Boston’s 16 points to clinch the victory.
The Celtics are back at TD Garden on Thursday night for Game 2 with another start time of 8:00 PM ET. Plan accordingly, parents of young children.
