Boston Sweeps Brooklyn In A 116-112 Game 4 Win & Rolls To The Second Round Of The Playoffs

 

    Who had the Celtics being the only team to sweep their opponent (the Nets) in the first round of the NBA playoffs this postseason? What seemed hard to believe came true tonight at Barclays Center as Boston held off Brooklyn 116-112 to abruptly end the series 4-0 in favor of the C's. If you were worried about how the Celts would do in close games, this was the fourth time already this postseason that the contest was decided by single-digits. The Nets knew that it was over before this one had even started but they made it interesting in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Celtics 34-26. Boston advances to the second round for the fifth time in the last six seasons where they will likely face the Bucks who lead the Bulls 3-1 with Game 5 in Milwaukee on Wednesday night (7:30, TNT).  

    Just like Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) in Game 1, power forward Kevin Durant exploded for 39 points along with nine assists and seven rebounds. It took Durant 31 shots to get 39 points and he was 3-for-11 on three-pointers but it was still by far his best performance of the series. Likewise, Brooklyn's shooting guard Seth Curry added 23 points in his top outing in the four games. Power forward Nic Claxton had 13 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals but he broke Shaq's infamous playoff record by missing his first 10 (!!!) free throws of the night. Point guard Goran Dragic (10 points, 8 rebounds) was also good off of Brooklyn's bench one last time. 

    For Boston, shooting guard Jaylen Brown notched 22 points and eight rebounds while point guard Marcus Smart was great with 20 points, 11 assists and five rebounds and ageless center Al Horford added 13 points and six rebounds. Boston's bench was led by power forward Grant Williams (14 points, 3 blocks) and point guard Derrick White (9 points, 6 rebounds). The Nets certainly didn't want to go back to Boston for pointless Game 5 and for the first three quarters, the Celtics made sure of that. The C's led 30-26 after the first quarter and 58-50 at halftime. The C's were up double-digits going into the fourth quarter, as they led 90-78. Boston scored 12 more points in the paint than Brooklyn (44-32) and they grabbed seven more rebounds overall (45-38) including five more defensive boards (35-30) and two more offensive boards (10-8). 

    Considering that Milwaukee has blown out Chicago in the last two games, I fully expect them to beat the Bulls on Wednesday but it would be nice to see Chicago extend the series (don't count on that) and give Boston a little more rest not that they really need it after a sweep. Regardless whenever it starts, a Celtics-Bucks playoff series would be epic. Giannis is the best player in the world right now and even with shooting guard Khris Middleton-their other All-Star-out, Milwaukee is still the defending champ and a team that has given the Celts problems for years. This is why Boston pushed for that two-seed though, they will have home court for the next series which as we all know is typically a huge factor in the NBA playoffs.

Trailing By 17 Points, The Celtics Rallied For A 114-107 Win In Game 2 Vs. Nets & 2-0 Series Lead

 

    It took them awhile to get started as they trailed by nine points after the first quarter (33-24) and by 10 points at halftime (65-55) but when the dust settled on Game 2 of the first round tonight at TD Garden, the Celtics came out on top of the Nets by a score of 114-107. With that result, Boston held serve to take a 2-0 lead in the series which heads to Brooklyn this weekend. As you can tell, this was not easy by any means for the Celts who were down by as much as 17 points (62-45) late in the second quarter but they stuck with it and eventually wore down the Nets. Game 3 at the Barclays Center on Saturday night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) is obviously a must-win for front-running Brooklyn since no NBA team has ever come back from a 0-3 series deficit. 

    Nets star power forward Kevin Durant scored a game-high 27 points but that is pretty misleading since he was once again ice cold from the floor (4-for-17) and had a game-high six turnovers but he made a living at the free throw line (18-of-20). Brooklyn's other star-point guard Kyrie Irving-was nowhere to be found as he put up a pathetic 10 points and eight rebounds in 40 minutes. Boston native and Nets small forward Bruce Brown opened the game on a personal 9-0 run and he parlayed that into an excellent performance: 23 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Shooting guard Seth Curry was good for Brooklyn with 16 points and off the bench point guard Goran Dragic remained lethal with 18 points. 

    I said after Game 1 that the Celtics have more depth than the Nets and they proved it this evening since all five starters scored at least 12+ points and two of the three bench guys also added double-figures. Boston's star shooting guard Jaylen Brown had a team-high 22 points, six assists and three steals while their other star-small forward Jayson Tatum-struggled with his shot (5-for-16) but still put up 19 points, a game-high 10 assists and six rebounds. Center Al Horford predictably wasn't as good as he was in Game 1 but he still managed to get 16 points, six rebounds and two steals while power forward Daniel Theis was better with 15 points and six rebounds. The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart notched 12 points and five assists. Given the stage, power forward Grant Williams had his best game as a Celtic with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 32 very productive minutes off the bench and even second-year point guard Payton Pritchard gave them a lift with 10 points in 16 minutes as a substitute. 

    They had an extra day off between Games 1 and 2 but KD was still in a funk and Kyrie played like he couldn't wait to get the hell out of here. If both of those guys have off nights then the Nets have virtually no chance to win against the more focused and locked in Celtics. Head coach Ime Udoka (who should have been one of the three nominees for NBA Coach of the Year) must have made some good adjustments at halftime as the C's were a different club in the second half. They outscored the Nets 30-25 then knocked them out in the fourth quarter (29-17) in front of Coach K and McLovin among other random celebrities. 

    For the game, Boston shot nearly six percent better from the field (52%-46.1%) and they had 11 more assists (27-16) than Brooklyn. As we thought, the Celts are a true team while the Nets are just a collection of big name talent surrounded by the island of misfit toys. For many reasons, a Celtics win in Game 3 would be huge; I don't want to completely look past the Nets yet since both Games 1 & 2 were decided by single-digits and you have to believe that Durant at some point will look like one of the best players on the planet. With that said, Boston's defense is superior to Brooklyn's which gives you confidence even away from the friendly confines of the juiced up Garden. If Boston can go up 3-0 in the series, I can definitely see Brooklyn completely folding and getting swept like you read about. For now though, let's just be happy that the Celts are up 2-0 and they haven't even played a complete game against the Nets.

Instant Classic: Celtics Beat The Nets 115-114 In Game 1 On Jayson Tatum's Buzzer-Beating Layup

 

    For the Celtics, the 2022 NBA playoffs began this afternoon at TD Garden vs. the Nets and when it was over, we were all treated to an Easter miracle. Boston had led by as much as 15 points (84-69) in the third quarter before unraveling in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn outscored them 29-19. Thankfully, the C's made one final winning play to escape with a thrilling 115-114 victory (their first playoff buzzer-beater since Paul Pierce vs. Miami in 2010!) in Game 1 of the first round. Celts shooting guard Jaylen Brown (23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks) started the sequence by driving to the basket before finding point guard Marcus Smart (20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) who surprisingly passed up a hero three-pointer and threaded a pass to Boston's superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (team-high 31 points, 8 assists, 2 blocks) for a spinning layup as time expired. 

    This would have been a crushing loss for the home team and we all know in the NBA how important home court is along with the outcome of Game 1s. We got the full Kyrie Irving experience as the Nets mercurial point guard dropped a game-high 39 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals while he also made fun of the TD Garden crowd and flipped them off on multiple occasions. Happy Ramadan everybody! Kyrie probably won't have a better game in this series while conversely his fellow star Kevin Durant (23 points, 6 turnovers) could never really get things going. What are the odds that Brooklyn's normally unstoppable power forward shoots 9-of-24 from the field again vs. Boston? Answer: highly unlikely. 

    The unexpected star for the Celtics in Game 1 was center Al Horford (20 points, 15 rebounds) who was forced to play 41 minutes at age 35 with Robert Williams likely out for this series. The Nets bench is not one of the strengths of their team but they outscored the Celtics 30-17. Boston killer and ageless point guard Goran Dragic had 14 points and five rebounds while bouncy power forward Nic Claxton added 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks (while he went 1-for-5 on free throws). One of the main reasons that the C's were able to survive this contest was their dominance on the glass: they had 14 more total rebounds (43-29) including nine more offensive boards (14-5). Boston is not the biggest team in the league but against Brooklyn, they have to take advantage of their size around the basket. 

    Boston led 29-28 after the first quarter and it was tied at 61 at halftime. The Celtics got rolling in the third quarter (35-24) before their offense mostly disappeared in the fourth quarter. This being the NBA, Game 2 won't happen until Wednesday (7, NBC Sports Boston). After losing in five games last season to Brooklyn in the first round (the Nets are 3-0 all-time in playoff series vs. the C's), Boston will have to flush this result and get focused on the next matchup. Durant and Irving are spectacular talents but let's be honest, the rest of the Nets (including first-time head coach Steve Nash) are much less impressive. The Celts are deeper, play better team basketball and have a legitimately qualified head coach in Ime Udoka. Then again, the league has always been and will always be superstar driven so we have to hope that Tatum and Brown at least play Durant and Irving to a draw. PS is there any chance that Kyrie leaves his Four Seasons (I'm assuming Brooklyn is staying there) hotel suite for anything but practice these next few days? Haha he will be booed non-stop no matter where he shows up around the city this week.

The Heat Swept The Two-Game Set With The Celts, Sending Boston To The Play-In Tournament

 

    Much like I was saying last fall and winter about the hapless Patriots, this miserable season for the Celtics (35-34 overall, 21-15 home) has to end and thankfully for us, that will probably come soon. Tonight at the TD Garden, the Heat (38-31 overall, 18-16 away) clinched a playoff spot and in the process, relegated Boston to the gutter I mean the lovely Play-In Tournament next week as the likely No. 7 seed. In their first game knowing that star Jaylen Brown (upcoming wrist surgery) was not going to return to this sinking ship of a campaign, the C's at least tried but even if Brown and Robert Williams (turf toe) were in the lineup, it does not matter. Who could argue at this point that Miami is not simply a better team than them? They took the season series 2-1 and they are playing like a group that is peaking as they head into the postseason (7-3 in their last 10 games) while the Celtics continue to unravel like you read about (3-7 in their last 10 games). 

    Miami's best player Jimmy Butler (13 points) did not even play in the second half after getting poked in the eye by Celtics guard Marcus Smart (10 points, 5 assists) in the second quarter. The Heat are so much deeper than the C's and they also have a cohesive gameplan which is a big advantage over the Celts who often play like they all just met earlier that same day. Heat guard Tyler Herro (24 points, 11 rebounds) single-handedly outscored the Celtics bench (20 points combined) by himself. Steady center Bam Adebayo (7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) and sweet shooting guard Duncan Robinson both scored 22 points while guard Kendrick Nunn added 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals. For the Celtics, point guard Kemba Walker (game-high 36 points, 7 rebounds), swingman Jayson Tatum (33 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) and shooting guard Evan Fournier (20 points, 8 assists, 2 blocks) were all very good but nobody else really did anything for the home team.

    It was tied at 28 after the first quarter and Miami led by six points (62-56) at halftime. The Heat started to take over some more in the third quarter (31-23) and they opened up a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter when backup point guard Goran Dragic (17 points) drained a 3-pointer to make it 105-84. From there, the Celts did their usual window dressing fake comeback thing which makes the final score look more respectable when in reality, it could not have mattered less. This evening was the last home game of the regular season for Boston, now they have three road games in the next five days to fully sort this mess out before the Play-In Tournament begins next Tuesday. 

    Boston is at Cleveland (21-48 overall, 12-23 home) tomorrow night (8, NBC Boston), they go to Minnesota (22-47 overall, 12-21 home) on Saturday (time TBA, NBC Sports Boston) and it ends on Sunday (time TBA, NBC Sports Boston) at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks (38-31 overall, 22-11 home) who are tied with the Heat and Hawks (38-31) for fourth-place in the Eastern Conference with each team having three games left. The Celtics have already lost to the Cavs earlier this season and needed overtime to beat the T-Wolves so I would normally say that they should win those games to get tuned up for next week but let's be honest, it could not matter less at this point. They are going nowhere fast and the off-season needs to happen as quickly as possible.

On An Awful Day In US History, C's Topped The Heat 107-105 On Pritchard's Last-Second Basket

 

    Let's be real here: there were way more important (albeit horrifying) things going on in the world-specifically in Washington DC-today than an NBA regular season game between the Celtics (6-3 overall, 4-2 road) and the Heat (3-4 overall, 3-2 home) at American Airlines Arena. I'll take my cue from those two teams though and while they agreed to walk off the floor together in the pre-game warmups, issued a joint statement condemning the Kenosha cop not getting charged for paralyzing Jacob Blake (by shooting him seven times in front of his kids) and today's insurrection at the US Capitol then kneeled during the national anthem, they ultimately chose to go through with the contest. Therefore while it's tough to get too hyped up about anything at this moment, I have to note that Boston came away with a great 107-105 victory in their first meeting with Miami since getting eliminated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last September in the Disney World bubble playoffs. 

    Celtics-Bucks games are usually pretty entertaining these days (see: the season-opener on Dec. 23) and it feels like Celtics-Heat is not too far behind in terms of growing Eastern Conference rivalries. Boston ended their four-game road trip on a three-game win streak and this one featured a little bit of everything. The C's led by as many as 17 points (47-30) in the second quarter and seemed to have things wrapped up with a 10-point advantage (105-95) with only 1:17 left in regulation. Miami was not deterred though as forward/NESCAC legend Duncan Robinson (16 points, 6 rebounds) hit a pair of three-pointers (including a 4-point play) and point guard Goran Dragic added the dagger three-pointer to shockingly knot it at 105 with 13.4 seconds left. Point guard Marcus Smart (9 points, 6 assists, 5 fouls) drove into traffic and his wild layup attempt didn't even hit the rim. No worries though as rookie point guard Payton Pritchard (6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) flew in for the offensive rebound and putback that turned out to be the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds left. 

    Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 27 points, 5 rebounds) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (21 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks) were leaders on the court and then afterwards as they gave a moving Zoom press conference about how they viewed today's latest debacle in DC. Center Daniel Theis (13 points, 5 rebounds) was the only other Boston player to score in double-figures. Heat star Jimmy Butler (team-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) looked more like his superhuman bubble self than the hobbled guy from the start of this season dealing with an ankle injury. Thankfully, Boston did a better job on Miami center Bam Adebayo (15 points, 10 assists, 2 blocks) who completely dominated them in that playoff series. Former Celtics goof Kelly Olynyk (11 points, 5 rebounds) got a rare start and wouldn't you know, the Heat did not win. Second-year guard Tyler Herro (8 points, 7 rebounds) starts now for the Heat but he was a non-factor, shooting 2-for-8 from the floor.

    Decked out in perhaps the ugliest jersey in NBA history, Miami got off to a slow start, trailing 34-26 after the first quarter and then both teams went ice cold (blinded by the gross court that matched the putrid uniform?) with each scoring 19 points apiece for a 53-45 halftime lead for Boston. They might have all escaped the bubble, but the Celtics decided to bring back one of their staples there: a rough third quarter (getting outscored 35-27) which meant it was tied at 80 and anybody's game heading into the fourth quarter. Coming into this season, I don't think many people (myself included) expected Boston to be a great rebounding team but so far, they have been surprisingly tough on the glass. They grabbed 11 more rebounds (53-42) than Miami including 10 more offensive boards (16-6). Those numbers were illustrated further in both points in the paint (56-40) and second-chance points (21-10) which were two more areas that Boston imposed their will on the home team. The Celtics also had five more steals (7-2) than the Heat. 

    Boston returns to the empty TD Garden on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) for their first matchup with the new-look Wizards (2-6). Washington traded point guard John Wall to Houston for point guard Russell Westbrook a few weeks before this season began. As always, Westbrook has put up gaudy numbers while shooting guard (and Tatum's St. Louis buddy) Bradley Beal dropped a career-high 60 points tonight in a crazy 141-136 loss at Philadelphia (7-1) but that hasn't resulted in many wins yet. Washington obviously doesn't even pretend to play defense and Boston can be guilty of that as well from time to time so if you are a betting man, hammer whatever the over is for that sure-to-be high-scoring affair.

For The Third Time In The Last Four Years, The Celtics Bow Out In The Eastern Conference Finals

 

    In 2020 and with the easiest path that they'll ever see (think the Bruins last postseason) in real life, it shouldn't have ended like this for the Celtics. Being overmatched in the NBA Finals vs. the Lakers (as painful as it is to say this) would have been understandable and the end to a wonderful season. Instead, dreams of another Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals meeting will have to wait for at least another year as Boston lost 125-113 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight vs. Miami in the Disney World bubble. It sucks that it had to come against my favorite team but in a weird way, it was very refreshing to see a team-first club succeed in a league that's typically dominated by stars and little else (see: this season's Lakers). The Celts might have more top-end talent but that couldn't have mattered less as the Heat used great teamwork, balanced scoring and better coaching (and front office moves!) to reach their first NBA Finals since 2014. 

    Boston trailed for most of Game 6 but of course they led by six points (96-90) after a bucket by Jaylen Brown (team-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) early in the fourth quarter. From there, Miami went on a crazy closing run of 35-17 to take it. From the outside, this might have been a stunning ending but not if you've watched the C's blow leads and falter in fourth quarters repeatedly in the Toronto series and basically every game vs. the Heat. Bam Adebayo (career-high 32 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists) was the best player on the court this evening and likewise the best overall player in the entire series from start to finish. Jimmy Butler added 22 points and eight assists while Duncan Robinson added 15 points and six rebounds while crafty veteran Goran Dragic notched 13 points and seven assists. Miami basically only used two guys off their bench but that's all they needed as rookie shooting guard Tyler Herro (19 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) closed out his star-making series with a flourish and old man Andre Iguodala (15 points, 2 steals) had his best game as a member of the Heat. Jae Crowder is also going to the NBA Finals after he put up nine points, six rebounds and two blocks to close out his former club. 

    Jayson Tatum (24 points, career-high 11 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) had a weird Game 6 as he went scoreless in the first quarter before taking over in the second quarter. Hopefully this pumps the brakes a bit on those that want to say he's one of the best players in the league. Yes, he had a really good season and he shows signs of being a special player all the time but a better, more complete player takes over that series and doesn't get overshadowed by Adebayo or frankly anyone else on Miami. Kemba Walker (5 assists) and Marcus Smart (8 rebounds, 2 steals) both scored twenty points but the real cause of Boston's downfall was their brutal 3-point shooting (15-for-46, 32.6%) which was reminiscent of their Game 7 loss two years ago to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. I have been a Brad Stevens honk going back to his magical days at Butler but is it time to wonder if he'll ever get over the hump of the ECF? Furthermore, would it kill him to try and change things up in an elimination game when guys like Smart (4-for-13), Tatum and Walker (both 3-for-10) have no solutions to a contest that's quickly slipping away from their grasp then to continue to jack up dreadful 3-pointers with no hope of going in. 

    Gordon Hayward (12 points) just wasn't enough of a factor either in 32 minutes off the bench. Five different Celtics made appearances off the bench but they still managed to get outscored by the unlikely Herro/Iguodala tag team by a count of 34-17. Maybe Danny Ainge could have made a move or two at the trade deadline (groundbreaking idea, I know!) like Miami did to pick up valuable experienced veterans like Iguodala and Crowder. It was easy to make fun of what seemed like minor moves at the time but who's laughing now? Trader Danny gets way too fixated on hoarding draft picks which doesn't make sense since when he's not in the lottery where he can get studs like Tatum or Brown, he honestly does not draft all that well. Like at all. Tatum, Brown and Kemba are a great base to start with but like Stevens, this seems to be their ceiling if they don't decide to further reinforce things by surrounding them with more quality players. 

     Miami led 33-27 after the first quarter then Boston responded to outscore them 33-29 in the second quarter to cut it to a one-possession game (62-60) at halftime. Both teams scored 26 points in the third quarter which should have set up a fantastic fourth quarter but instead the Celtics chose to collectively pee their shorts. They should be embarrassed as the Heat outscored them by 10 (37-27) with a possible Game 7 looming on Wednesday night. Instead, Game 1 between the Lakers and Heat will begin that night (9, ABC). Just like the ball, these numbers don't lie: Miami shot nearly 13% better from the floor (56.3%-43.4%), 15.5% better on 3s (48.1%-32.6%), they attempted 11 more free throws (26-15) and hit 10 more of them (22-12). The Heat also grabbed nine more defensive rebounds (38-29) and handed out four more assists (30-26). 

    Bigger picture, other than some obvious moves by Ainge (another big guy, please!), we can only hope that this serves as another valuable lesson to this team's nucleus of what it takes to win more often at this level. From all accounts, they are likeable guys that put in the work and have more important things than just basketball on their minds 24/7. This is all well and good but professional sports are a results oriented business and going out with a whimper like this will never be an acceptable conclusion for such a proud franchise. The sad reality is that they were frontrunners who started the postseason 6-0 in the bubble, only to sputter to a 4-7 finish after this final debacle. 

     

    

    

    

After An Awful 1st Quarter, Boston Rallies To Force Game 6 vs. Miami With 121-108 Victory

 

    Admit it, there were many times in the first half of tonight's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Heat that you were screaming at the TV for how badly Boston was playing. In an elimination game from the Disney World bubble, they were completely lifeless in the first quarter as the Heat outscored them 26-18 and things didn't get better at the start of the second quarter as they trailed by as many as 12 points (40-28). Full credit to the C's though who were down 58-51 at halftime but just when everyone started to fully doubt them, they submitted their best frame of the season-starting out on a 20-5 run and outscoring Miami 41-25 (the most points they've scored in a quarter in the playoffs and +16 tied for their best scoring differential in a playoff quarter as well) in the third. From there, they coasted to a 121-108 win which cut Miami's series lead to 3-2. Game 6 is on Sunday night (7:30, ESPN). 

    It was all about picking up the pace for the Celtics as they continued to get stops against the Heat and turned those into layups, wide open 3-pointers and free throws. No surprise that Jayson Tatum (game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) was in the middle of everything for Boston since his 17 points in the third were a new playoff career-high for him. Jaylen Brown (28 points, 8 rebounds) was also really good and it felt like the first time in weeks that they both played well in the same playoff game. Daniel Theis (15 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) outplayed Bam Adebayo (13 points, 8 rebounds) so obviously it was his best game of the series thus far. Kemba Walker (15 points, 7 assists) had a mostly quiet performance although Jeff Van Gundy was raving about it for some reason and Marcus Smart (12 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals) was back to his old self-in a good way. Even Boston's much-maligned bench made some things happen: Gordon Hayward scored 10 points and Enes Kanter scored eight points in 10 minutes of action. 

    Early on when it looked like Boston's season was going down the tube faster than you could say "1-2-3 Cancun," Duncan Robinson (20 points) scored 12 in the first quarter including two drives to the basket which resulted in easy baskets which should never ever happen. Goran Dragic (team-high 23 points) was the only other guy on the Heat to have a solid game but luckily he fouled out in the fourth quarter after he went in for a layup and kneed poor Theis in the junk. Ouch babe. Jimmy Butler was held to 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Jae Crowder added 14 points and six rebounds. Game 4 legend Tyler Herro (14 points) thankfully came back down to Earth in a major way. 

    Boston outscored Miami by 20 points in the second half thanks to some atrocious 3-point shooting by the Heat: 7-of-36 for 19.4%. That set a franchise-low for their worst ever shooting percentage from long distance when they had 30+ attempts. It's foolish to think that the Heat will do anything like that in Game 6 but what is sustainable for the Celtics is their determination on rebounds (50-38 overall and 13-6 on offensive boards) while also tallying more than twice as many steals (7-3) as Miami. Boston also hit five more 3-pointers, two more free throws (25-23), had two more assists (29-27) and committed one less turnover (12-11). 

    It sounds silly to say it since most were probably picking the Green to win this series coming into it but right now, all the pressure still lies on the Heat. Sitting in the bubble for months, they've had little else to do but watch the Nuggets twice rally from 3-1 deficits which in normal NBA postseasons are a borderline lock to be over. Boston has more talent than Miami and while it is super frustrating that it takes an elimination situation for it to finally come out again, at least we see that it is still there. The Celtics can reach a level that the Heat can't but the key to that remains in their attitudes and desire to play to their strengths (defense, transition, spreading the ball around, etc.). Boston has already beaten Miami more times this postseason than Indiana and Milwaukee combined. Now, they need to focus and try to duplicate that near perfect third quarter and more than acceptable fourth quarter (29-25). We all desperately want a Game 7 in our lives and the only way to get it is for the C's to once again prove that Games 1-2 and 4 vs. the Heat weren't a true reflection of their capabilities.

      

    

    

Herro (Career-High 37 pts!) & Heat Push Celtics To The Brink Of Elimination With 112-109 Gm. 4 Win

 

    How much difference can one spot in the NBA Draft sometimes make? Well my friends, look no further than the 2019 NBA Draft where Miami had the 13th pick with Boston right after them. The Heat took shooting guard Tyler Herro from Kentucky while the Celtics selected small forward Romeo Langford from Indiana. The story goes that C's GM Danny Ainge loved Herro when he crushed it at a pre-draft workout in Boston but that meant absolutely nothing as he dropped a career-high 37 points tonight at the Disney World bubble while Langford's utterly forgettable rookie campaign is already over after surgery on his wrist. Miami held on for a 112-109 victory in Game 4 to give them a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 5 is on Friday night (8:30, ESPN) and I don't blame you for starting to drink already in anticipation of that one last disappointment from the C's. 

    Only 13 teams in NBA history have ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit although that includes Denver twice already this postseason-against Utah and the fraud Clippers. Boston has done it twice before but not in a long time: 1968 vs. Sixers and 1981 vs. Sixers. This is all glossing over the fact that the Heat are a better team right now at this moment. It doesn't matter how many high draft picks the Celts have on their current roster, Miami has more guys that can go off in a given contest while Boston cannot figure things out from game to game. In fact, since leading 2-0 in the last round vs. Toronto, the C's fell to 3-6 in their last nine games after this loss. Besides Herro (who has scored in double-figures every playoff game), Jimmy Butler (24 points, 9 rebounds), Goran Dragic (22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) and Bam Adebayo (20 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals) all continued to play their roles to perfection and carve up Boston in the process. 

    The final score was closer than it really should have been because numerous questionable foul calls and replays all seemed to go Boston's way near the end. Make no mistake, as ugly as the first half was for both teams, the Heat outscored the Celtics in the first, second and fourth quarters therefore they deserved to win this more. Oh and the simple facts that the Heat had three times as many steals as the Celtics (9-3) while Boston turned the ball over an absurd 11 more times (19-8). Nobody in Green better illustrated the unpredictable nature of the Celtics than Jayson Tatum (9 rebounds, 3 blocks): he went scoreless in the first half then caught fire in the second half to the tune of finishing with a team-high 28 points. Two other Celtics scored 20+ points but just barely: Jaylen Brown had 21 points and nine rebounds while Kemba Walker notched 20 points with five assists. Marcus Smart (10 points, 11 assists, fouled out) picked a poor time to morph back into Marcus Smart when it comes to shooting as he went 3-for-12 from the floor including a disgusting 1-of-8 on 3-pointers. Props to Gordon Hayward (14 points, 7 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench) who missed the birth of his son (after 3 girls!) this afternoon for this frustrating setback. You think his wife will hold that decision against him for the rest of his life?

    You have to hand it to the NBA for sucking most of the life out of this series by putting two extra days off since Game 3 which in case you forgot happened way back on Saturday night which in 2020 terms was a lifetime ago. The first half was borderline unwatchable and it looked like anything but a game this deep into the postseason. Miami led by one point after the first quarter (24-23) and 50-44 at halftime-the first time that they were up at the break in this series while holding Boston to its lowest scoring first half of the playoffs. 

    We all know how poorly the Celts typically perform in the third quarter at the bubble but not this evening as Tatum caught fire and they outscored the Heat to trail by just one point (77-76) heading into the fourth quarter. To say that the last 12 minutes were a slog is being generous, is there anything more tedious than the end of a close NBA playoff game when there are roughly a thousand whistles and 500 replays/reviews? I didn't think so. Boston shot almost five percent better from the floor (47.6%-42.9%), they hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), grabbed six more rebounds (46-40), handed out eight more assists (28-20) and blocked three more shots (5-2). Bottom line: if they weren't so careless with the ball and/or if they found a way to slow down Herro a tad, this would have been a win. 

    The Celtics have already won when facing elimination this postseason but that was a little different scenario as they had blown a 3-1 lead vs. Toronto and had to survive Game 7 just to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Adebayo appeared to pick up a hand/wrist injury late in Game 4 but he never came off of the court so who knows how serious it is. To lose to the Heat is one thing, I doubt that many Celtics fans realized how good they are but to lose in a gentleman's sweep (5 games) would be downright pathetic. I'd like to think that the C's have too much fight left in them to go out like that but if they get down early and/or big on Friday, do you have any confidence that they'll battle back and not fold? Yeah, me neither. Time to prove us wrong guys! PS I love Brad Stevens but are we starting to see that his teams only have a certain ceiling? Something to chew on until Game 5 tips off, I'll bring the alcoholic beverages-we'll surely need them.

C's Waste Another Big Lead (17 pts) & Nightmare 3rd Quarter Puts Them In 0-2 Hole vs. the Heat

 

    After sweeping the Sixers in the first round and winning the first two games vs. the Raptors, the Celtics fell to 2-5 in their last seven contests after an extremely frustrating 106-101 loss tonight to the Heat at the Disney World bubble in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami improved to a remarkable 10-1 this postseason and took a commanding 2-0 series lead which as we learned in the last round against Toronto, teams that are up 2-0 in a best-of-7 series have advanced 93% of the time (like the C's in 7 games vs. the Raptors). Ruh roh. Game 3 is on Saturday night in primetime (8:30, ESPN) and needless to say, Boston will be playing to save their postseason since no team in NBA history has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit. No pressure or anything. This loss does not fall solely on Celts head coach Brad Stevens but this series means very much to his NBA career and he fell to 4-10 (.286) all-time in the ECF including 1-5 (.167) in his last six games. 

    If you watched the game or even just by glancing at the box score, you can see that the third quarter essentially decided everything: down 13 at halftime, Miami absolutely blitzed Boston 37-17 (their worst scoring margin all season!) which was enough to help them survive getting outscored in all three other quarters. Oh and double-digit leads continue to mean nothing as Boston was up by as many as 17 points in the second quarter (58-41 with 3:19 left in the half); they've now blown double-digit advantages in four of their five playoff losses. I despise cliches but watching these first two games, you can clearly see that Miami is the much hungrier team. The Celtics have more talent on paper than the Heat but Miami is playing more unselfish, team basketball. How else do you explain six Heat scoring in double figures led by Goran Dragic's game-high 25 points while Boston only had four guys in double figures? 

    Duncan Robinson (18 points) caught fire early on with a trio of 3-pointers but the Celtics managed to lead 31-28 after the first quarter. Boston's best 12 minutes of Game 2 came in the second quarter as their defense locked down Miami to the tune of 29-19. The C's outscored the Heat in the third quarter in Game 1-which didn't matter since they lost in OT-but they were back to their nightmare third quarters from the Toronto series. Suddenly, they forgot how to defend simple pick-and-rolls where Bam Adebayo (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) got dunks and easy buckets over and over again. Neither Jae Crowder (12 points, 3 steals) nor Tyler Herro (11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) were as good as they had been in the series opener but at least they did something. Jimmy Butler (14 points, 4 steals) was invisible but somehow his teammates lifted him up and you can bet that he won't have another complete clunker like that in this round at least.

    Kemba Walker (23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was Boston's highest scorer and best player, Jayson Tatum (21 points, 5 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (21 points, 6 rebounds) were fine and Marcus Smart (14 points) did his thing but collectively it wasn't enough. Boston's bench was a factor in the first half as Enes Kanter made a rare playoff appearance and put up nine points and six rebounds which sadly turned out to be his final stat line as well. Brad Wanamaker made a pair of 3-pointers in the first half but he predictably was held to one point in the second half while Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams combined to play 19 minutes but they went scoreless (granted they took 2 shots, both misses by Semi). Romeo Langford also came out of witness protection in the first quarter, got hurt in 1:21 (right adductor strain) and never returned. He was the 14th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, what was Celts GM Danny Ainge thinking there? 

    You look at the stat sheet and in some ways, it's stunning that the Celtics found a way to lose. They shot 5.6% better from the floor (50%-44.4%), hit seven more free throws (19-12) and grabbed three more rebounds. On the other hand, Miami hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), pulled down five more offensive rebounds (11-6), they dished out eight more assists (27-19), had more than twice as many steals (11-5) and committed 11 less turnovers (20-9). Therefore the Heat boatraced the Celtics on points off turnovers (26-10) and put up five more second chance points (16-11). This evening was the first time in the postseason that Boston trailed in a series and we saw how well they dealt with a little adversity in that instance. 

    If we are being real here, Game 3 is all about the Celtics since the Heat are playing with house money at this point (not only making it this far but surprisingly leading the series 2-0 to boot). If they fold and go down 0-3, there will be endless questions asked of Ainge, Stevens and their top players for however long this unpredictable offseason lasts. Celtics fandom aside, we all know that this should be a six or seven game series because there really is not that much separating them from the Heat or at least there shouldn't be. Saturday will show us what they're truly made of and if we have grossly overrated them all along. 

If Gm. 1 of the ECF-Won 117-114 by Miami in OT-Is Any Indication, Buckle Up For A Hell Of A Series

 

    A very troubling trend for the Celtics began in the last round of the playoffs vs. the Raptors: they really struggled to put away Toronto time and again which is why what should have been a gentleman's sweep (5 games) ended up going the distance. Even in Game 7, their defense-and the Raptors' inept offense-were the main reasons that they were able to hold on. Up 14 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 tonight vs. Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals in the Disney World bubble, you might have put that painful theme out of your mind. Unfortunately, the Heat outscored the Celts 35-23 in that frame and 11-8 in overtime en route to a crazy 117-114 victory. This was an especially rough loss for the C's since they not only had a chance to win it at the end of regulation (with the ball in their best player's uber-talented hands) but they were also up by one point late in overtime and they could not hang on. 

    Jayson Tatum's (game-high 30 points, game-high 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals & 2 blocks) numbers look great but his 3-pointer to win it at the buzzer was a questionable decision at best and then after Kemba Walker (19 points, 6 assists, 6-for-19 shooting) hit a clutch basket to put Boston ahead 114-113 with 23.6 seconds left in OT, Jimmy Butler (20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) answered with a big-time And-1. He made the free throw too which set up the play of the game: Tatum drove to the basket but was stuffed at the rim by Bam Adebayo (18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks). Of course the former Kentucky star only made one of his two free throws, leaving just enough time for Tatum to catch a long inbounds pass, fall down, get up then have a heavily contested tying 3-pointer rim out. Ugh, just brutal.

    It was a bizarre contest from start to finish since Boston outscored Miami 26-18 in the first quarter then the Heat couldn't miss in the second quarter (37-29) to make it 55-55 at halftime. The Celts got over their series-long bugaboo of terrible third quarters vs. Toronto with a solid 12 minutes this evening (28-16). Boston's foul trouble caught up to them when it mattered though as Miami shot 12 of their 28 free throws in the fourth after the Celtics got into the penalty early.

    Both clubs were understandably gassed by the time that overtime came around and it showed in Tatum's uncharacteristic ice cold shooting (2-of-10 in the 4th quarter and overtime combined). Goran Dragic somehow led the Heat with 29 points and he added seven assists as well while former Celtic Jae Crowder (22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) was fantastic. Williams College alum Duncan Robinson (6 points in 17 minutes) was a non-factor since he picked up three fouls in the first half but it wasn't much of a loss since Tyler Herro played 40 minutes (!) off the bench and almost notched a triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists). 

    Marcus Smart (26 points, 6-for-13 on 3-pointers!) continues to play great while Jaylen Brown (17 points, 5 rebounds) could never really get untracked. Boston's bench was outscored 22-18 by Miami but more importantly, they wasted Brad Wanamaker's (11 points, 6 assists, 5 steals!!) best performance in the NBA. The main story was that the Heat surprisingly played bully ball on the Celtics, to the tune of outscoring them 48-26 in the paint. Yeesh. Miami shot 2.8% better from the field (47.1%-44.3%), hit one more 3-pointer (16-15), grabbed four more rebounds (41-37) and handed out eight more assists (32-24) which sneaky was another huge subplot-too much 1-on-1 by the C's. Boston made three more steals (9-6) and had two less turnovers (12-10) as both teams played pretty clean playoff basketball.

    No rational person thought this would be a quick series but clearly, it's imperative for the Celtics to make the proper adjustments and get a win in Game 2 on Thursday night (7:00, ESPN). They didn't play bad in Game 1 but they have to find a way to seal up these playoff wins when they get the chance. Brown will be better and I'd say that Kemba is due as well after three straight sub-standard outings by him. Dragic won't drop 29 points again or I might keel over. Whatever it takes, Boston can't afford to go down 2-0 vs. Miami because they are a real tough matchup/mirror image of them.  

     

     

    

Who Needs Kevin Garnett? Celtics Embarrass Suns 113-88 in Phoenix

Since they were facing the worst team in the Western Conference, the Celtics decided to make it a little harder on themselves by giving Kevin Garnett the night off. It didn't matter at all though as Boston (29-26, 9-17 away) rolled over Phoenix (18-38, 12-14 home) 113-88 tonight at US Airways Center. The C's finally recorded a road win this season against a team from the West, snapping an ugly 0-7 start.

Jeff Green was the story as he had a career-high (with Boston) 31 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, four assists and two blocks. Anybody left wondering if he could play or not? The Celts jumped out to a 13-0 lead to begin the contest and they never looked back, outscoring the Suns in every quarter and opening up as much as a 30-point advantage.

Avery Bradley was the only other starter in double-figures with 13 points and four steals. Chris Wilcox (14 points, 8 rebounds) had his best game of the season, Jason Terry scored 13 points, Jordan Crawford's Celtics debut was very positive (10 points) while Terrence Williams looked comfortable (9 points) in his second game with Boston.

Good luck trying to figure out what Phoenix is doing or who they're currently building around, that team is a disaster. Goran Dragic (19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) and Marcin Gortat (10 points, 6 rebounds) are their only above average players. Markieff Morris added 11 points off the bench.

KG will return on Sunday (9 p.m., CSN) as the C's visit the Blazers (25-30, 4th Northwest Division). I wish it wasn't at the same time as The Oscars but I guess it gives us something to flip to during commercials and when Seth MacFarlane is really bombing. Boston wraps up their five-game post-All Star Game road trip with a back-to-back in Portland then Utah. They should beat the Blazers (who have lost 7 in a row) but the Jazz are another story. Utah is one of the toughest places to play in the NBA (Mormon power!) and the C's figure to be gassed by then.

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Celtics Win Their Fourth In A Row, Get Back Over .500 In The Process

The Celtics are finally starting to hit their groove and it only took nearly half of the 2012-13 season to figure things out with all their new players. Boston (18-17, 11-6 home) won its fourth straight game with a 87-79 victory against Phoenix (12-25, 2-16 away) tonight at TD Garden, getting them over .500 for the first time since their Christmas day win in Brooklyn.

Beating the Suns isn't a very notable accomplishment these days but the way the Celts did it is what is worth mentioning. Kevin Garnett (10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) was the only starter to score in double figures. I can't remember the last time the Celtics' bench outscored their starters, especially in a win.

Boston's bench had its best game of the season as they outscored Phoenix's reserves 47-16. A year removed from major heart surgery, Jeff Green had 14 points. Jared Sullinger had 12 points and 16 rebounds (a season-high for a Celtic) and Jason Terry added 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Phoenix is a model UN with an Argentian-Luis Scola (16 points, 8 rebounds), Pole-Marcin Gortat (12 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks), Yugoslavian-Goran Dragic (12 points, 5 rebounds) and Superfan from BC-Jared Dudley (14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) all in their starting lineup. Unfortunately for them, the NBA doesn't award extra points for diversity so the Suns are basically screwed.

The Suns led 24-23 after one quarter but the Celts ran out to a 53-41 halftime advantage. Phoenix rallied with a 23-14 third quarter but Boston had enough energy (mostly from the bench) to close it out in the fourth quarter (20-15).

Boston shot 6.4% better than Phoenix (45.7-39.3%) from the field, they had seven more steals (12-5) and three less team turnovers (16-13). Other than a couple vicious dunks by Green and some great work on the glass by Sullinger, it wasn't pretty but the C's got the job done against a truly awful team.

Things will certainly pick up on Friday as Boston hosts Houston (21-15, 3rd in Southwest Division), one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Celtics will be looking for some revenge after the Rockets beat them handily, 101-89 back on December 14 in Houston. It should be a good one since James Harden is playing at an All-Star level and Houston has a bunch of solid complimentary pieces including Harvard's Jeremy Lin that seem to fit together perfectly.

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It Takes Another Overtime But The Celtics Win Their Fifth Straight, Tying A Season-High

I won't complain since if there's a perfect time to be unemployed, it's during Championship Week and the start of March Madness. That said, my brain was completely fried from watching college hoops all day by the time I got to watching the Celtics-Rockets game on DVR.

I was pleasantly surprised since Boston (20-17) rallied from a 10-point deficit (80-70 with 5:22 left) late in the fourth quarter to win it 97-92 in overtime against Houston (21-18) at TD Garden.

It was the Celtics' fifth straight win overall (which ties a season-high) and for the second time in a row, they needed an extra session after beating the Knicks in overtime on Sunday.

The game went to overtime because Ray Allen (21 points) hit a 3-pointer that put the C's up 84-82. However, Goran Dragic (11 points, 3 steals) hit the tying jumper with three seconds left after Rajon Rondo (9 points, 12 assists, 3 steals) inexplicably missed an easy layup that would have clinched it. Allen also had a chance to win it at the buzzer but his mid-ranger jumper (right in his wheelhouse) rimmed out.

Paul Pierce (game-high 30 points, 6 rebounds) was the best player on the parquet while Kevin Martin (11 points) never really showed up. Kevin Garnett had 13 points and 13 rebounds while Greg Stiemsma provided an unexpected jolt off the bench with eight points.

The sneaky good tandem of Luis Scola (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Kyle Lowry (18 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) kept Houston in contention. Chandler Parsons had 12 points while Samuel Dalembert notched 11 points and 17 rebounds.

It was a game of big swings of momentum since the Rockets led 28-21 after one quarter but the Celtics found themselves up 46-40 at halftime. The third and fourth quarters followed a similar pattern as Houston came out strong (28-17) in the third but Boston answered (21-16) in the forth.

The C's shot slightly better (43.2% to 38.6%) and dished out eight more assists (26-18) which made up for a pathetic effort on the glass (57-38 overall, 14-4 offensive boards). Houston scored seven more fast break points (13-6) but Boston had eight more points in the paint (36-28).

I can't tell you why it's taken this long but the Celtics will finally meet the Philadelphia 76ers (22-7) tomorrow night at the Wells Fargo Arena for the first of three times. For a while, it looked like Boston would have no chance to catch the Atlantic Division leading Sixers this season but they've come back to Earth lately losing eight of their last 10 games. Philly is only up a game on Boston which means a win for the Green would make them deadlocked with two games in hand. The Celts will be tired from two overtime games and back-to-backs but they should be able to get energized for this vital contest.

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