The Eastern Conference Finals Takes Another Wild Turn As Boston Smothers Miami 102-82 In Game 4

 

    After no-showing for much of the contest then rallying like crazy but ultimately losing Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals 109-103 on Saturday night at TD Garden, the Celtics had no choice but to win this evening at home as they faced the Heat who led the series 2-1. One of the only certainties in this postseason is that Boston will bounce back from a loss as they improved to 5-0 after defeats with a lopsided 102-82 victory that evened the series at two games apiece. When I say that Miami never stood a chance, it is the honest truth since they were down 18-1 (!) right at the start. The Heat set a franchise playoff low with 11 points in the first quarter and they trailed by as much as 32 points while their starting lineup combined for 18 points which does not even seem possible. The all-important Game 5 is at FTX Arena in Miami on Wednesday (8:30, ESPN). 

    Boston's lockdown team defense was the main story as they held Miami to 52 points in the first three quarters. Like his team, Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 31 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) responded the right way after an embarrasing 10-point outing in Game 3. Four other Celtics scored at least 12 points led by point guard Payton Pritchard who scored 14 points off the bench, point guard Derrick White (starting for an injured Marcus Smart) added 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals-his best game as a Celtic-shooting guard Jaylen Brown was ice cold but had 12 points and seven rebounds while center Robert Williams returned from missing Game 3 with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 19 very impactful minutes. Veteran power forward Al Horford only took two shots but he was a force defensively with a game-high 13 rebounds and a game-high four blocks. 

    For Miami, with shooting guard Tyler Herro (groin) out and their best player small forward Jimmy Butler (6 points, 7 rebounds) clearly not himself, they were lost offensively. Heat center Bam Adebayo was a beast on Saturday with a team-high 31 points and 10 rebounds but then he disappeared once again with only nine points. Point guard Kyle Lowry had just three points while Miami's other two starters-power forward P.J. Tucker and shooting guard Max Strus were both held scoreless. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo was the only guy on the Heat that played well in Game 4 as he had a team-high 23 points and six assists off the bench while New Hampshire native and shooting guard Duncan Robinson (14 points, 2 steals) finally seemed to find his shooting stroke in garbage time and small forward Caleb Martin added 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. 

    Boston shot six percent better from the field than Miami (39%-33%) and more importantly, they attempted nearly three times as many free throws (32-of-38 vs. 8-of-14). The C's owned the glass with 21 more rebounds (60-39) and scored 10 more points in the paint (38-28). It was stunning to see such a proud and tough team like Miami get destroyed like that, then again this has been a postseason full of blowouts in the NBA. I could see a lineup change perhaps for the Heat in Game 5 with either Oladipo or Robinson coming in for Strus. We'll have to see if Smart returns for Boston. It will be the biggest game of the playoffs (thus far) for either club since it would be quite difficult to rally from down 3-2 in this series.

The Celts Ran All Over The Heat 127-102 In Game 2 To Even The Eastern Conference Finals At 1

 

    If not for a historically bad third quarter in Game 1 (where they were outscored 39-14), the Celtics would probably have a 2-0 series lead in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Heat. Tonight in Game 2 at FTX Arena, it wasn't even close as Boston truly wiped the floor with Miami 127-102. The series is now tied 1-1 and Boston improved to 4-0 this postseason following a loss. The C's got off to a fast start by leading 35-24 after the first quarter and 70-45 at halftime (their largest halftime lead in franchise playoff history!). The Heat made a tiny run early in the third quarter but it didn't matter one bit as the teams somehow scored the exact same amount in the final two frames: 26 points in the third quarter and 31 points in the fourth quarter. After they both were out for Game 1, C's point guard Marcus Smart barely missed a triple-double (24 points, playoff career-high 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals) and center Al Horford (10 points) both returned to stabilize things for the deeper and dare I say a little tougher overall squad?

    Miami's star small forward Jimmy Butler had another very good game (game-high 29 points, 6 rebounds) but he didn't go crazy like Game 1 where he dropped 41 points. It's looking like that type of otherworldly performance is how the Heat are going to win because they just don't have that many legit threats outside of Butler. While Boston's star-small forward Jayson Tatum (team-high 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 8 rebounds) combined for 51 points-it was also about power forward Grant Williams (19 points) and point guard Payton Pritchard (10 points, game-high plus-39) who were both really solid off the bench for the visitors. Miami's point guard Kyle Lowry remains out with a strained left hamstring so taking his place is the immortal Gabe Vincent (14 points) who was the only other Heat starter to score in double figures. Miami's All-Star center Bam Adebayo (6 points, 9 rebounds) was a complete no-show for the second straight contest, shooting guard Max Strus (6 points) is a one-trick three-point shooting pony and veteran small forward P.J. Tucker left after 22 minutes and never returned with a left knee contusion. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo (remember him?) had 14 points off the bench and the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro was held to 11 measly points.

    Boston's defense was on another level than Miami's that is similarly regarded as a great defensive club. The C's were on fire from downtown, as they shot 50% (20-of-40) on three-pointers and held the Heat to 29.4% (10-of-34) in front of their stunned home fans. There weren't a ton of Celtics fans in the building but the real (and quite wealthy) Massholes that did get in made their presence felt like Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy who sat right next to the Celtics' bench with his lady friend. For the game, Boston shot seven percent (51.2%-44.2%) better from the field, they only missed two free throws (21-for-23) while they handed out seven more assists (28-21), grabbed twice as many steals (8-4) and blocked two more shots (5-3) thanks to Celts center Robert Williams (3 blocks). The Celtics scored 11 more points off turnovers (20-9) than the Heat, had five fewer turnovers (14-9) and they led by as much as 34 points (!) which is a pretty amazing feat on the road against the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference who had captured Game 1 (118-107) by double digits.

    There is little time to rest as they get right back to it on Saturday night (8:30, ABC) in Boston at what should be a lubed up and very loud TD Garden. Between their variety of options on offense not to mention their typical superb defense that showed up in Game 2, the C's have many ways to beat Miami while the Heat seem more limited outside of Butler being the best player on the floor by a wide margin (which is harder to do since he has only hit one 3-pointer in the first two games combined). If Tucker is out, Miami would be down a great defensive player and one of its true heart and soul guys. I'm not predicting anything just yet because I have too much respect for the Heat to bury them but as a Celtics fan, you have to like the position that they are in after picking up this vital road win in Game 2. They are not intimidated by Miami and honestly, why should they be? Boston is the better team and hopefully that is proven out over the course of this series. 

Boston Comes Home With A Much-Needed Road Win (Their First of the Season) At Indiana

 

    As great as it must have been to be stuck in an Indianapolis hotel for three days during the pandemic holidays, the Celtics (2-2 overall, 1-1 away) made sure that their first road trip of the season wasn't a complete waste of time. After a frustrating 108-107 loss to the Pacers (3-1 overall, 2-1 home) on Sunday night, the Celts bounced back tonight with a legit 116-111 victory-their first road win of the 2020-21 regular season-at good old Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Things weren't looking great for the C's late in the third quarter when they trailed by as much as 17 points (88-71) but they closed it to a slightly more digestible 11-point deficit (94-83) heading into the fourth quarter. From there, power forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals) and Co. put together their best frame in this young season by outscoring the home team 33-17 to hand them their first loss of the year. 

    After sitting out Sunday's encounter, Indiana's best player-shooting guard Victor Oladipo-was back in action with a team-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists. On Monday, Pacers power forward Domantas Sabonis (14 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals) was named the Eastern Conference Player of the week but this time around, head coach Brad Stevens and his team did a better job limiting the talented big man. The other three Pacers starters all scored in double-figures: sneaky Celtics killer/point guard Macolm Brogdon put up 19 points and seven assists, small forward T.J. Warren had 17 points and center Myles Turner filled the stat sheet with 16 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. 

Boston's starting five wasn't quite as productive as Indiana's but small forward Jaylen Brown (20 points, 4 steals) and point guard Marcus Smart (17 points, 5 assists) were both good and power forward Tristan Thompson (14 points, 10 rebounds) had his best game as a Celtic by recording his first double-double in green and white. Coming into this season, I don't think many thought that the Celtics bench would be one of their strengths but the additions of rookie point guard Payton Pritchard (10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and veteran point guard Jeff Teague (6 points) have really helped them not to mention the fact that center Robert Williams (8 points, 5 rebounds) is finally becoming a little more consistent. In this win, Boston's bench outscored Indiana's 34-21. Shooting guard Justin Holiday (12 points, 4 steals) was the only Pacer substitute who did anything meaningful in the loss. 

    There is not much that separates these two teams which is why it would make perfect sense to see them playing each other in the playoffs next spring as the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics got off to another fine start as they led 31-26 after the first quarter but the Pacers outscored them by four (31-27) in the second quarter to trim Boston's advantage to one-point (58-57) at halftime. Honestly, what is with the Celtics' struggles in the third quarter? This is getting a little absurd since this evening they were outscored 37-25 by the Pacers to take full control of the game. Who knows the reason but Stevens and his staff have to figure it out fast because the C's can't survive doing that for much longer. For once, Boston made a concerted effort to drive to the basket all game long and it was rewarded handsomely as they took more than twice as many free throws (37-16) as Indiana and hit 14 more of them (27-13). Another good sign for the road team was that they grabbed seven more total rebounds (43-36) including three times as many offensive boards (12-4). 

    I doubt that any other club in the NBA had a tougher first four games than Boston in terms of quality opponents: Milwaukee (2-2), Brooklyn (2-2) and Indiana are no doubt three of the better teams in the East. While it would have been nice to pile up some easy wins against the dregs of the league, if the Celts want to get any better they might as well get tested right out of the gate like this. In their first back-to-back of the season, the Celtics catch a break tomorrow night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) as they host the Grizzlies (1-2) without their star point guard Ja Morant who is out for three-to-five weeks with a sprained ankle. The C's will be running on fumes while Memphis was waiting for them in Boston tonight but that is still not an excuse. They are a far better team with a superior coach and especially with no Morant, they should beat the Grizzlies end of story. For what it's worth (nothing), it would be nice to close out the worst year ever above the .500 mark rather than below it, just saying.

Unless We're Talking About Disney World, Orlando is Pretty Useless

If the Celtics don't get a top pick in June's NBA Draft, one of the first things we'll blame (other than the basketball Gods of course) is the Orlando Magic. Why? Well with Boston's (16-33 overall, 10-15 home) 96-89 win this afternoon at TD Garden, the Celts finished their season series with the Magic (13-36 overall, 3-22 away) 3-1, ugh.

The rare victory for the Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak. It might have been the product of playing another team doing everything they can not to win but Rajon Rondo (19 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals in only 27 minutes) looked way better than any of his other eight performances since returning Jan. 17 vs. Lakers. It was his first double-double of the season and most surprising, he was 9 of 11 from the field including a 3-pointer.

Nobody has ever debated whether Jared Sullinger (21 points, 12 rebounds) was better than Glen Davis (15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) but this contest served as a further example of how much higher Sullinger's ceiling can be if only he stays healthy for a full season.

Brandon Bass, who was traded for Davis, also played better than the clown they call Big Baby with 19 points and nine rebounds. Avery Bradley (17 points) returned after missing the last five games with a sprained ankle.

Arron Afflalo led Orlando with 18 points, underrated Nikola Vucevic had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds), Tobias Harris added 13 points and five rebounds while promising rookie Victor Oladipo notched 12 points and five assists even though he was bricktastic (3 for 16 from the field, woof!).

Boston has rarely won this season but even more strange to see is them leading from start to finish. The C's were up 27-19 after the first quarter, 54-45 at halftime and 71-64 heading into the fourth quarter. Thanks for playing, Magic.

The Celts shot 8.7% better from the field (50-41.3%), grabbed five more rebounds (44-39) and handed out six more assists (24-18) thanks to Rondo's re-emergence.

It seems like Boston has played a round-robin tournament lately with the other teams in the Eastern Conference trying to tank. After losing on a fantastic Evan Turner buzzer-beater for the Sixers on Wednesday, they go to Philadelphia (15-33 overall, 5th in Atlantic Division) this Wednesday (7, CSN & 98.5 FM).

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