BOSTON — Did Boston Celtics fans just witness the final home game for Kyrie Irving in a Boston uniform?

That’s looking more likely by the day, if not the hour. After putting forth all sorts of effort but precious little execution, Irving and the Celtics fell short against the confident Milwaukee Bucks for the third straight game Monday night. The 113-101 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals left the green-and-white diehards at TD Garden tossing more boos than cheers at their team as the players trudged off the court.

The Bucks, led by the scary talents of Giannis Antetokounmpo, lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 on Wednesday night in Wisconsin. In the history of the NBA, only 11 teams have escaped such a playoff hole.

Do the math and you can see why this may be not only the final home game of the season for the Celtics, but perhaps Irving’s last hurrah as well. The mercurial, talented guard is a free agent at the end of this season and may jump ship rather than drop anchor in Boston.

That won’t be a problem for many observers of the Celtics, especially those who felt that Irving should be the counter to the Bucks’ “Greek Freak.” But that hasn’t come close to happening in this series.

After a Game 3 loss on Friday, Irving confidently told the media that “I have to do what I’m really great at and that’s getting downhill and making them pay. I don’t think you’re going to see another 8-for-22,” shooting effort.

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Well he was wrong. In Game 4, Irving did get downhill and attacked the Bucks at the rim, but once again he couldn’t put the ball in the basket nearly often enough. He made just 7 of 22 shots, including 1 of 7 from behind the 3-point line. In the Celtics’ three straight defeats, their star guard is shooting 30 percent from the floor and 20 percent on his 3s.

“They’re making things difficult in the paint,” Irving said. “They’re making us think and make reads, over and over.”

While Irving led the Celts with 23 points in Game 4, the team’s wayward 3-point shooting (9 of 41, 22 percent) led to an 80-72 hole after three quarters. That much of the damage in the third quarter came with Milwaukee stars Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on the bench because of foul trouble ultimately doomed the Celtics. In the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo took over and Irving and the Celtics faded to black. The big guy poured in 17 of his 39 points and grabbed seven of his 16 rebounds in the final quarter.

“It’s hard to find the words,” Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer said of his star. “He’s just doing everything. He’s special. He’s very hungry and he wants more and he’s playing that way.”

Irving insists he remains hungry, too, but he’s failing to spark the Celtics. After first saying “the shots just didn’t go in,” Irving was asked afterward what he can do to shake out of his shooting doldrums. “It’s a little difficult when your rhythm is challenged every time down. I’m trying to do it all. … For me, the 22 shots, I should’ve shot 30.”

Whether it’s 20, 25 or 30 shots, Irving isn’t delivering for the Celtics, and now he’d better prepare for the firing line. Blaming the star player is a Boston sporting tradition. It’s happened over the years with Roger Clemens and the Red Sox, Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots, Joe Thornton and the Bruins, and many more.

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Now we have Irving, and he attracts more than his fair share of scorn. He’s the guy who dribbles too much, the guy who cranks up ill-timed 3-pointers, the guy who can play matador defense at the worst times.

Then there’s off-the-court Kyrie. The guy simply isn’t very lovable. He talks himself into circles, and often leaves the media more confused than informed.

Yet while his message and his playing style may be a bit maddening, let’s get one thing straight: He’s by far the Celtics’ best player. That fact only crystallizes when the heat of the playoffs rises. While Irving has fallen short in this series, he remains the team’s best offensive player by leaps and bounds. Instead of pointing the finger only at his chest, fans also need to direct it into a few others. At the top of that list should be Gordon Hayward. He’s the team’s highest paid player ($31 million) and has been invisible (17 points, 4 of 18) in the last three games.

How about some of the youngsters who performed admiringly last spring but haven’t shown up this time around? Remember when Terry Rozier was “Scary Terry?” He’s scaring no one right now.

Where the Celtics go from here isn’t clear. It would take a modern hoop miracle to escape the corner they’re backed into right now. That would be some story. But where Irving goes from here is just as interesting, if not intriguing.

If this was indeed his final home game, Irving’s legacy will be a very short, unrewarding one. Where the Celtics turn next without the franchise guard they hoped to build around is anybody’s guess.


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