Here is one surefire sign that normalcy is returning: Celtics fans are back to chanting obscenities at visiting players.
On Tuesday, the victim was Russell Westbrook. When he was at the free line throw in the third quarter, the Garden faithful let him hear it.
“F— you Westbrook!,” they shouted.
The reasoning for the chant is unclear. Since Westbrook has played nearly his entire career in the Western Conference, there’s no history of animus between him and the Celtics. Still, the atmosphere was vitriolic.
Athletic NBA reporter Jared Weiss, who brought attention to the chants, was perplexed. “You can think Russell Westbrook is an inefficient player but you can't not admire the guy,” he tweeted.
The Celtics defeated the Wizards 118-100 on Tuesday, earning their way into the playoffs. The story of the game came down to Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker outplaying Westbrook and Bradley Beal. The former combined for 79 points (including 50 from Tatum), and the latter put up just 44 points.
Westbrook contributed his usual impressive stat sheet performance, finishing with 20 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. But it was an inefficient outing: He finished just 6-of-18 from the floor.
As a nine-time All-Star and former MVP, Westbrook will go down as one of the most individually decorated NBA players in history. He’s averaged a triple-double for four straight seasons. It is amazing.
But yet, his teams continually fall short in big games, and Tuesday was no exception. It’s always fun to razz superstars who can’t win when it matters most. You combine that commonly held sentiment with copious amounts of liquor, and there you go: an obscene chant is born.
Hopefully the exercise served as a good practice run for the Celtics’ next series against the Nets. For the first time since leaving Boston, Kyrie Irving will play in front of fans at the Garden.
When Celtics fans inevitably start cussing him out, their motivation won't be a mystery.