Behind 41 Points from Jayson Tatum, The Celtics Rallied To Beat The Hornets 140-129 In Overtime

 

    They are still probably not NBA title contenders but if the first four games are any indication, the Celtics (2-2 overall, 2-1 away) are going to be wildly entertaining to watch this season. Tonight in the second half of a back-to-back on the road, Boston was able to come away with a crazy 140-129 overtime victory at Charlotte's (3-1 overall, 1-1 home) Spectrum Center. Just to get to overtime, they had to close on a 20-8 run after the Hornets took a 114-102 lead midway through the final quarter. The C's had won their first game of the season 107-97 last night in Houston (1-2) but given the higher caliber opponent, this was a much more impressive result. Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum led the way with 41 points (his 9th career 40+ point game), eight assists and seven rebounds while Boston's other star Jaylen Brown dropped 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals. 

    It was a true team win since Celtics point guard Dennis Schroder (23 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) had his best performance for his new club including nine points in the extra session. Center Robert Williams (12 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) was a force on the glass, guard Marcus Smart (3 steals) was able to prevent the Hornets from winning at the end of regulation when he stole a lazy inbounds pass that was intended for Charlotte's young star LaMelo Ball (25 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds). Even forward Jabari Parker (13 points, 5 rebounds) played a big role in the win off the bench because he scored 11 points in the first quarter when his team was gaining its bearings. Power forward Grant Williams added nine points as he continued his strong play to start this campaign. 

    It wasn't a full family reunion since former Celtics guard Terry Rozier sat out with an injury but there was Gordon Hayward (15 points, 6 rebounds) who logged a game-low plus/minus of minus-23 but hey, he had a cool haircut to show off. Charlotte's small forward Miles Bridges added a double-double (25 points, 10 rebounds) but Brown also threw down a vicious dunk on him which is all that most people will remember from his fine night's work. Shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. had a good game (19 points, 9 rebounds) and journeyman center Miles Plumlee notched a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks). Power forward Jalen McDaniels put up 13 points off the bench and veteran point guard Ish Smith scored 10 points in 23 minutes backing up Ball who surprisingly fouled out in OT-something that never happens to the truly elite of the NBA. 

    This evening was a throwback to the high-scoring 1980s in the league as neither team could really do anything effectively on defense. It was 33-33 after the first quarter and Boston took a two-point lead (68-66) into halftime. Head coach Ime Udoka's club came out a little slow in the third quarter-getting outscored 31-26-but they made up for it by taking the fourth quarter (28-25) and most importantly, dominating in overtime (18-7) as they beat Charlotte for the sixth time in their last seven meetings overall. The Celtics shot nearly five percent better than the Hornets from the field (49.5%-44.7%), they hit three more free throws (21-18), dished out seven more assists (33-26), had twice as many steals (8-4), blocked three more shots (9-6), turned the ball over two fewer times (14-12), registered five more second chance points (17-12) and scored seven more fast break points (22-15) than Charlotte who had 11 more points off turnovers (19-8) than the Celtics. 

    Of course it is way too early to know anything yet about these C's: their season-opening double overtime loss last Wednesday at the Knicks (2-1) 138-134 will likely go down as one of the games of the year in the league, then they no-showed in their home opener last Friday against the Raptors (1-3) 115-83. They had no choice but to beat the lowly Rockets and while it was tougher than it had to be, they got it done and they proved a little something by beating the Hornets who will be a playoff team again in the Eastern Conference. The Celts return to TD Garden on Wednesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) as they kick off a home-and-home with the Wizards (2-1). They'll head to DC on Saturday (5, NBC Sports Boston) for the rematch with Tatum's BFF Bradley Beal and Co.

Nice To See Danny Ainge Wake Up And Finally Make A Few Moves For The Celtics In Free Agency

 

    For Celtics fans, the last few days had been nothing but torture: between GM Danny Ainge doing his usual NBA Draft con job (getting his name crowbarred into a bunch of far-fetched trade rumors but then never completing them) and using two mid-first round picks on Wednesday, followed by crickets the first day of free agency on Friday (besides Enes Kanter getting traded back to Portland), we needed something to be even slightly positive about. After Gordon Hayward signed a four-year, $120 million dollar deal with Charlotte this afternoon, Boston was left with the bitter reality that they had gotten absolutely nothing in return for seeing their former prized free agent skip town after only three injury-plagued and disappointing seasons. 

    Hallelujah, the tide finally started to turn a bit in the Green's favor this evening as news trickled in that they had signed veteran center Tristan Thompson to a two-year deal worth $19 million while point guard Jeff Teague had also agreed to a one-year contract for the veteran's minimum. Right before these moves came into fruition, Brad Wanamaker signed a one-year with Golden State, hence the sudden need for a new backup point guard that head coach Brad Stevens could count on in crunch time. These moves alone aren't groundbreaking on their own but at least they demonstrate that Ainge is still trying to improve the team and not simply hoping that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can continue to develop into franchise players and carry a bunch of inexperienced youngsters to even greater heights mostly by themselves. 

    Obviously not getting a much-rumored sign-and-trade deal done with Indiana for Hayward involving Pacers center Myles Turner is the biggest headline out of this rapid succession of moves for the Celts. When Gordon moved his personal deadline for picking up his ludicrous 2020-21 option ($34.2 million!) from Tuesday to Thursday, you knew that he was as good as gone. That fact was cemented when he opted out on Thursday night to become a free agent. I liked Hayward's game going back to his Butler days with Stevens, long before he got here but thanks to an incredibly bad streak of luck when it came to freak injuries and long stretches where he never really fit into the gameplan, I am not going to lament him leaving here that much. It was time. The frustrating part is that Ainge wasted one of the only real assets that he had on the current roster. 

    Looking ahead, Thompson and to a lesser extent Teague should make Boston slightly better this season. Thompson was the fourth overall pick of the 2011 draft and for most of his nine years in Cleveland, he has tormented the Celtics whenever they matched up, especially in the playoffs. Once again, after LeBron left the Cavs, the franchise has turned into a disaster. However, Thompson has posted his two best seasons in back-to-back campaigns. Known as a ferocious rebounder with a limited offensive game, he has averaged double-doubles the last two seasons: 10.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2018-2019 followed by a career-best 12 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He is much better overall than Daniel Theis and therefore should start right away. One of Boston's biggest issues in the bubble postseason-and dating back years now if we're being honest-was rebounding and Thompson immediately addresses that and at the age of 29, he figures to have some good productive years left in the tank. Getting away from the Cavaliers and onto one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference should also motivate him plus he'll be back in the playoffs where he seems to shine the most.

    On the other hand, Teague's peak is behind him (who knew that he was an All-Star in 2014-15?) but that doesn't mean that he can't provide some value to the C's at the ripe old age of 32. Additionally, with the way that Kemba Walker's knee wasn't right for much of last season including in the bubble, Ainge had no choice but to get someone that he could depend on when Walker undoubtedly misses more time with another mysterious injury that the Celts will try to downplay as always. Teague was the 19th pick of the 2011 draft by the Hawks. You'll remember that he was part of some fun playoff series between Boston and Atlanta early on in his career. After seven seasons in Atlanta, he played for a year in Indiana (his home state) before three years in Minnesota and then he was traded back to the lowly Hawks last season where he averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 assists per game. Unlike Thompson who can't hit free throws to save his life (61% for his career), Teague is excellent at the line (he's shot in the 80s for the last 10 seasons in a row). 

    The craziest part out of all of this is that the 2020-21 NBA regular season starts exactly a month from today. I'm not kidding, it really does return before the NFL playoffs have begun. Given that the NBA Finals just wrapped up in early September, that's preposterous. I thought they would surely start after New Year's but Christmas Day is such a ratings draw for the league that they simply had to fast-track this offseason to get those key holiday games in. Let's admit it: the league has a virtual sports monopoly on Christmas with usually five games (featuring many of the top teams and players) from the afternoon to late at night. About the only thing that makes sense is that they've cut 10 games off the regular season thanks to Covid-19 so instead of the 82-game grind, it'll be a 72-game sprint or something like that. Granted, I won't be complaining about any of this when it's the dead of winter, I'm stuck inside every night due to the miserable weather and that's where the NBA will be clutch in our pandemic lives.

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.

Maybe The C's Aren't Front-Running Frauds As They Take Must-Win ECF Gm 3, 117-106 vs. Heat

 

    It was a tough night for the hot take artists both locally and nationally as the Celtics led from start to finish en route to a 117-106 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami at the Orlando bubble. Trailing 0-2 in the series, Boston simply had to win to at least temporarily save their season and they delivered with their best performance of this postseason (sorry, Game 7 vs. Toronto was a great result but too clunky). Now rather than making vacation plans, the C's get additional time to think about Game 4 which doesn't happen until Wednesday night (8:30, ESPN) thanks to the NBA's wacky schedule. This was only the second loss in the playoffs for the Heat and their first in regulation which has to count for something. 

The gameplan for the Celtics was obvious as they went to the basket at will and outscored the Heat there 60-36 (tied for the most in the past 20 postseasons). If you're looking for a good sign as a Celts fan (haha no Heat fans allowed here anyway!), the last two Eastern Conference champions-Cleveland in 2018 and Toronto last year-also trailed 0-2 in the ECF. I'm just saying. This was the first time all postseason that Boston had four guys score 20+ points: Jaylen Brown led the way with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals; Jayson Tatum (25 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists) just missed out on a rare triple-double; Kemba Walker had 21 points and six rebounds; Marcus Smart added 20 points and six assists. We found out this afternoon that Gordon Hayward (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, block) would return after missing over a month with an ankle sprain and while his shot was rusty (2-for-7 from the floor), he made a real impact off the bench in 31 quality minutes. 

    Bam Adebayo (game-high 27 points, game-high 16 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) continued to be a force for Miami but luckily, Tyler Herro (22 points off the bench) was the only other Heat to have a solid outing. Jimmy Butler (17 points, 8 rebounds) wasn't much of a factor while Goran Dragic (11 points, 5 assists) and Jae Crowder (10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) were both locked down as they each shot a miserable 2-for-10 from the floor. Fake me out 12-year-old sharpshooter Duncan Robinson put up 13 points on four 3-pointers and an ultra rare (for him) free throw. Boston outscored Miami in the first, second and third quarters but their 20-point lead in the fourth quarter was whittled down to five measly points before they closed it out with some Smart free throws (he was 10-of-10 from the line overall!) down the stretch. 

    The C's led 31-22 after the first and 53-50 at halftime. We held our breath waiting for the inevitable implosion in the third but it never happened as the Celts topped them by a bucket (26-24). The Heat are impossible to put away which coupled with the fact that the Celtics can't close anyone out makes no Boston lead ever safe in this series. Miami outscored them 32-28 in the fourth but thankfully it was too little, too late. Make no mistake, the Green deserved to win as they shot nearly 10% better from the floor (48.2%-38.8%), they pulled down eight more rebounds (50-42), notched six more assists (27-21) and made three more steals (8-5). 

    Looking at the first three games of this series, Boston has outplayed Miami for long stretches, they have been up by double-digits in every contest and yet they still trail 1-2. In many ways since Game 1 was decided in overtime, they could easily lead 2-1 or even 3-0 but here we are. Tonight was further proof that they have a slightly higher ceiling than Miami when they choose to share the basketball and play their signature lockdown defense. Hayward gives them a boost and he brought more positive news saying that his wife Robin (who is very pregnant with the couple's fourth child) will let him stay in the bubble rather than leave for the birth which would require another quarantine. Miami's last loss came in Game 4 vs. Milwaukee so it's nice that they will be hearing and thinking about this setback for longer than usual. We'll see how they respond to a little adversity but you can bet that they are going to be a notch above this imperfect showing. I'm just happy that the Celtics have more meaningful games to play since if they trailed 0-3, Game 4 would have been more useless than those extra days off.

In The Least Surprising News Of The Day, Gordon Hayward Will Miss The Next Four Weeks (Ankle)

 

    Don't take this the wrong way: Gordon Hayward seems like a nice enough fellow and all plus he's a fine basketball player but can we agree that he will probably never have an injury-free season with the Celtics at this rate. Last night in Boston's first playoff game in the bubble against Philadelphia, he sprained his right ankle late in the Celtics' 109-101 win. This afternoon came the utterly predictable news from the team that he will be gone for around four weeks after suffering a grade three sprain. Keep in mind that the C's tend to undersell injuries to their players that ultimately tend to keep them out for much longer, remember Kevin Garnett, fat and over-the-hill Shaq, Kyrie Irving, etc.?

     As I said in my recap of Game 1, the Sixers as they are currently constructed with duck tape and krazy glue pose no real threat to Boston other than making them play an extra game or two in the series that is totally unnecessary. Nope, Hayward's value really comes into play when the Celts take on better teams, like the Raptors in the second round or the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals (granted Milwaukee looked terrible in a shocking Game 1 loss to Orlando this afternoon). Generally speaking, we know what Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker will bring in terms of scoring and all-around play. The NBA is all about having multiple scoring options since the stars will have off-nights from time to time. 

    Moreover, Hayward's best quality is his versatility: he can dribble, he can shoot, he can rebound, he can defend and he can pass. Right now, his biggest issue is staying healthy and just being on the court. We'll never forget his gruesome ankle injury in his first ever game as a Celtic which now looking back feels like a sign of brutal things to come for him. Last season-his second in town-he played in 72 regular season games and this year it was down to only 52 due to a fluky broken wrist. Despite all the video games that he loves to play, I don't think it's an issue of conditioning or not taking proper care of his body. Unfortunately for Hayward, most of these injuries feel like nothing more than bad luck.

    Yes he's overpaid and he has a propensity to disappear in big games and/or against quality opponents but he is not a complete scrub by any means. This season Hayward averaged 17.5 points per game (6 more than last season!) with a career-best 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He's also a trusted shooter at 38% on three-pointers and 86% on free throws. We all know what Marcus Smart brings: he's one of the best defenders in the league, a great energy guy and emotional leader of the Celtics. However, aside from his random hot streaks that happen once in a blue moon, he still can't shoot consistently well. Assuming that Smart moves into the starting lineup that also takes away Boston's best bench player while also making their bench even more of a liability which is another thing that could bite them later on this postseason. I'd like to say that I have confidence that Hayward will be able to return while the Celts are still alive in bubble playoffs but how could I? He's become Mr. Glass of the C's. 

     

     

The Celts Let The 76ers Hang Around But Take Gm 1 Behind Tatum's Playoff Career-High (32 pts)

 

    Let's be honest, this first round playoff series between the Celtics and the Sixers should not be a long one. After Ben Simmons went down with a knee injury last week, you knew that Philadelphia's days in the Disney World bubble were limited. Of course, Boston wasn't complaining since they earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the 76ers dropped down to the sixth seed so these rivals would meet right away rather than deeper in the playoffs. Game 1 tonight was not a classic matchup by any means but it should serve as a harbinger of things to come as the C's didn't play particularly well yet they still walked away with a 109-101 win. Jayson Tatum was the best player on the floor as he scored a game-high/career playoff-high 32 points with 13 rebounds and three blocks. 

    Many think that Boston has the best young duo in the league and Jaylen Brown certainly held up his end of the bargain with 29 points, six rebounds and three steals. Kemba Walker added 19 points and five assists while Gordon Hayward posted 12 points and a game-high four steals but unfortunately he suffered what looked to be a pretty bad right ankle sprain. He was seen after the game leaving on crutches as he headed for an MRI. Ugh, poor guy has had such an uneven Celtics career with all the injuries that he's dealt with. Let's hope it's not as bad as it looked like in real time. 

    Joel Embiid (26 points, game-high 16 rebounds, game-high 5 turnovers) is still an absolute beast but who else left on Philly scares you? Josh Richardson scored 18 points and Alec Burks produced the same amount off the bench while Tobias Harris added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Filling in at point guard for Simmons, my man Shake Milton put up 13 points but without one of the best passers in the NBA (Simmons) not to mention ballhandlers, the Sixers turned it over 11 more times (18-7) than the Celtics. That coupled with Boston's seven more steals (12-5) and five more made free throws (23-18) were the only real differences in the contest. Oh and if you're looking for the ghost of Al Horford, he manged to have six points, seven rebounds and six assists with a game-low plus-minus of minus-18. Hey Al, do you wish you remained with the Celtics rather than go to the rudderless 76ers in free agency? Nevermind, you don't have to answer that big guy.

To Philly's credit, they came out on fire leading to a one-point lead (26-25) after the first quarter. Boston woke up and started to play their style in the second quarter which gave them a 55-49 halftime advantage. Naturally, when you thought that the Sixers would just roll over they actually controlled the third quarter completely (30-20) to go into the fourth quarter up 79-75. Philly's lack of depth and foul trouble to both Embiid and Horford (5 fouls apiece) helped Boston finally pull away a bit in the fourth though they had to sweat it out at the end despite what the final score might lead you to believe. 

    Once they start matching up with better teams further in the playoffs, Boston's bench will simply have to perform better. Tonight's total output of eight points from them is beyond embarassing. Marcus Smart (2 points, 0-for-5 shooting, 2 steals in 32 minutes) figures to slot into Hayward's spot in the starting lineup assuming that he's out for at least a few games. Smart tends to play better in the most important games and he certainly left room for improvement personally after tonight's stinker. 

    You have to love the sheer predictably of some NBA playoff series, especially those in the earlier rounds. I hate to forecast the future-which is truly futile in 2020-but here is how it'll go for the 76ers: they'll get swept by the C's or lose in a gentleman's sweep (5 games). They'll fire their head coach (BU product and Maine native) Brett Brown and replace him with some other NBA retread. Then Embiid and/or Simmons will demand a trade when they realize that Philadelphia is not going anywhere with this mostly average roster behind them. Anyways, see you on Wednesday night (6:30, NBC Sports Boston) for Game 2.   

    

     

    

     

    

    

     

    

Whenever You Are Ready To Count The Celtics Out, They Reel You Back In With Crazy Wins

Playing their fifth game in seven nights on the West Coast, the Celtics had every excuse to pack it in and slink back to Boston as dejected losers. Instead, they chose to fight through their fatigue and pull out a pulsating 110-107 overtime win at Utah's (31-26, 21-7 home) EnergySolutions Arena.

The Celts (30-27, 10-18 away) finished 2-3 on this tough road trip and after the game, no less than head coach Doc Rivers called it their "best win of the season."

Paul Pierce (26 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) missed his patented elbow jumper at the end of regulation but he made up for it by tearing it up in overtime. The other four Celtics starters were all in double-figures as well: Kevin Garnett (13 points, 10 rebounds), Brandon Bass (15 points, 2 blocks), Avery Bradley (season-high 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) and Courtney Lee (14 points, 5 rebounds) all earned the next two days off-Boston doesn't play again until Friday. Jason Terry added 14 points off the bench.

Gordon Heyward led the Jazz with 26 points off the bench. Former Celtic Al Jefferson had a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) while Paul Millsap filled up the stat sheet (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) and Marvin Williams scored 15 points.

Boston led 28-26 after the first quarter but Utah wrestled it away for a 53-48 halftime advantage. The Celtics played an incredible third quarter (32-19) but predictably, they ran out of oxygen in the fourth quarter as the Jazz outscored them 25-17.

The C's shot 3.4% better from the field (47.7%-44.3%), hit two more 3-pointers (10-8), had two more steals (8-6) and scored six more points off turnovers (21-15).

The Celtics' only game in the next week is on Friday (7:30 p.m., CSN) at TD Garden against Golden State (33-23, 2nd in Pacific Division). It's a weird stretch as the Green and White play one home game then two on the road, another home game then back on the road for two more. Until Thursday, they can kick their feet up and enjoy tonight's excellent victory which thankfully overshadowed what had been a rough week.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Rondo Sprains His Ankle But Celtics Beat Jazz Thanks To Green & Barbosa

Finally, that was the Celtics' depth that we've been hearing so much about. Rajon Rondo (6 points, 10 assists) left the game with a sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter tonight but Boston (5-3, 2-2 home) was able to temporarily withstand his absence in a 98-93 win over Utah (4-5, 1-5 away) at TD Garden.

Their bench outscored Utah's 47-25. The two main reasons that the Celts still had energy and points even without their point guard were Jeff Green (16 points) and Leandro Barbosa (16 points). Green shook the Garden with an insane dunk over Al Jefferson (13 points, 14 rebounds) while also getting to the free throw line (6 of 7) and converting. Barbosa took over point guard duties from Rondo and it seemed like he was attacking the basket at will with a variety of shots.

Paul Pierce had a game-high 23 points and Kevin Garnett had 11 points and eight rebounds while Brandon Bass scored eight in Boston's third straight victory. The Jazz are a solid team but without a true star, they are destined for nothing but first-round exits in the Western Conference playoffs. Paul Millsap had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward had 14 points while Derrick Favors added 14 points off the bench.

An injury to Rondo can never come at a good time but tonight was the beginning of a brutal four games in five nights stretch for the C's. Needless to say, they'll need him back on the court as soon as he can go. Utah led 25-20 after the first quarter and 46-44 at halftime. Boston took control in the third quarter (29-24) thanks to plenty of fast break points (20-8 overall). The C's also got the job done in the fourth, 25-23.

Boston had a 10 percent advantage in shooting (50-40%), six more assists (24-18) and five more steals (8-3). Utah hit three more 3-pointers (7-4), grabbed 15 more rebounds (48-33, including 18-4 offensive) and had two more blocks (6-4). Four more turnovers (13-9) for the Jazz and two less made free throws (22-20) were probably the difference in a tight game.

Tomorrow night (8 p.m., TNT) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is their first look at the Nets (4-2), who many feel could be a contender in the Atlantic Division. Any team with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries among others is no joke, even with puppet Avery Bradley working the sidelines.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Once Again, Celtics Are Tied With 76ers Atop The Atlantic Division

This season that looked so bleak at the beginning is very slowly getting more enjoyable with each passing game.

The Boston Celtics (28-22, 18-8 home) beat the Utah Jazz (27-24, 8-18 road) 94-82 tonight at TD Garden.

Utah had come in as one of the NBA's hottest teams, having won seven out of their last eight but they were completely smothered by Boston's outstanding defensive effort. The Celts won their fifth game out of their last six and as a reward, they're tied with Philadelphia again for first place in the Atlantic.

Kevin Garnett (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Paul Pierce (20 points) were the best players on the parquet while Brandon Bass added a quiet but effective 19 points. Rajon Rondo had double-digit assists (14) for the 11th consecutive game. Avery Bradley scored nine points as he started with Ray Allen missing his fourth game in a row because of an ankle problem.

Gordon Hayward (19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) had one of his best games as a pro but Al Jefferson (18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) struggled in his return to Boston as he shot 7 for 19 from the floor. Paul Millsap was the only other Jazz player in double figures with 16 points.

This was a true team win for the C's since the four bench guys that played all did something positive. Keyon Dooling had seven points (including a big 3-pointer) and three assists, Sasha Pavlovic had five points (including a 3-pointer), Ryan Hollins threw down two nice alley-oops from Rondo and Greg Stiemsma blocked four shots. You can't ask much more from those four in a relatively close contest.

Boston shot way better than Utah (46.8%-39.0%). That made up for another pitiful night on the glass (49-38 advantage for the Jazz, 16-4 offensive rebounds).

The Celtics close out March on Friday as they travel to KG's old stomping grounds: Minnesota or as he calls it "Sota." Nobody in the NBA is currently playing better than Kevin Love (three 40-point games in March including one 51-point game) so Boston will have their hands full with a young and energized squad that's playing decent even though Ricky Rubio is out for the season.

It's the only meeting of the season between the Celtics and Timberwolves. Minnesota has been awful since Garnett has been in Boston but I feel like they always give the C's a tough game every year.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate