"Easily the worst homecourt advantage"- NBA fans rain down on Celtics' TD Garden crowd for prematurely exiting Game 1 

NBA: Playoffs-Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
NBA fans react to Boston Celtics fans at TD Garden leaving early in final moments of Game 1

The TD Garden fans have come under fire from the NBA community after many were seen leaving during the final minutes of the Boston Celtics' Game 1 win. While it appeared as though the team would drop Game 1 at home, a game-tying three from franchise cornerstone Jaylen Brown kept the Celtics in contention and eventually forced overtime.

Before the massive shot, which swung momentum in Boston's favor, fans were seen pouring out of 100 section seats in the lower bowl. While there was still time left to play, many seated in the lower section of the TD Garden seemed to believe that the game was over.

Once Brown hit the massive 3-pointer, though, those who exited the TD Garden arena were unable to re-enter the building. As a result, they were forced to watch overtime unfold from bars near the stadium rather than cheering their team on from the TD Garden.

The situation didn't sit well with many fans, some of whom explained that they would have done anything to attend the game while taking aim at fans who left.

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As one fan wrote, though, the TD Garden fans have been inconsistent throughout the playoffs:

"Celtics home game fans have been pathetic all playoffs. Easily the worst home court advantage left in the playoffs. Why even show up in the building if you’re not going to give the team the home court support they need?" - @KevinBakinz (Twitter/X)

Others questioned the loyalty of the fans who left:

"This can’t be the same Garden they said was better" - @BrooklynG111 (Twitter/X)
"I'll never understand the people that leave the game early" - @Camionsinatra (Twitter/X)

Others likened the situation to when Celtics fans criticized Miami Heat fans for leaving early in a playoff game over a decade ago:

"This is like the finals all over again when Ray Allen hit that 3" - @JtheFox101YT (Twitter/X)
"Didn’t fans from this team clown Heat fans for the EXACT SAME THING back in 2013?" - @Jeremy_Kazieve (Twitter/X)
"Ohhh it's ONLY the HEAT fans that does that" - @Gsheverything (Twitter/X)
"And then they talk about heat fans" - @QuantStacker (Twitter/X)

Others chalked the situation up to casual fans rather than taking it as an indication of Celtics fans in particular:

"This happens to every team" - @DuckinNDodgin (Twitter/X)
"Must be casuals" - @TraegerDuratti (Twitter/X)

Looking at the Boston Celtics remarkable Game 1 comeback at the TD Garden

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals has earned recognition as an instant classic.

Early on, the Boston Celtics took an early lead, outscoring the Pacers 34-31 in the first quarter. When the game went to halftime, thouhh, they were tied at 64 points each, making it clear to fans that this one could go down to the wire.

After a closely contested third quarter, the Celtics went down late game, leaving many fans both at home and in attendance confident that Indiana would take Game 1. However, the Celtics rallied in the final minutes of regulation, thanks to a clutch 3 from Jaylen Brown.

Paired with some late-game mishaps on Indiana's part, including a crucial late-game turnover from Tyrese Haliburton, the Celtics forced overtime. After a narrow five-point win, the focus has now shifted to when the Celtics will get Kristaps Porzingis back.

The big man, who has been dealing with a right calf strain, is expected to miss the first two games of the series at a minimum according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

As Celtics coach Joe Mazulla indicated to media members before Game 1, Porzingis has been doing everything he can to get back on the floor as soon as possible.

With playoff action shifting over to the Western Conference on Wednesday night, both teams will look to recover from an extended Game 1 before action resumes Thursday. As TD Garden fans are now well aware of, the series could come down to the final seconds.

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