If the Boston Celtics were to go down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Final, it wouldn’t happen because they forced the Miami Heat on duty on engagement terms. For three-and-a-half minutes in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Conference final on Friday, they will score three goals on the rim. By the end of the third quarter, Paint had his 50 points on 22 sides of the heat.
Unlike Game 2, the Celtics’ offense didn’t stop when Miami went into its 2-3 zone. They made quick decisions, used Heat’s aggression against them and attacked the paint on purpose. With a 117-106 win, Boston is down 2-1 in the series.
Jillian Brown was a maniac on defense and played the best all-around playoff game. He finished with 11 points in 11-for-17 shooting plus seven rebounds, five assists, three steels and a block in 42 minutes. Jason Tatum had 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Kemba Waker added 21 points in the 8-for-16 shooting.
Miami only fired for-for-85 shots, but managed to hang on until the last minute. Center Balm Adebayo had 27 points in 10-for-14 shooting, plus 16 rebounds, three blocks and two steels. Off the bench, Tyler Harrow scored 22 points and destroyed four assists, but in the first half he did almost all the damage.
Boston led 13 points at halftime and 19 in the third. The Heat went 11-1 at the end of the third quarter, briefly threatening to make that kind of comeback by sinking the Celtics in each of the first two games. Bost reacted with a 7-0 run, and the margin reached 19 early in the fourth quarter.
Miami was able to make it interesting in the fourth end, reducing the deficit to five points, but it’s hard to win when you shoot 4-for-26 from a 3-point range in the second half.
Here are three takeaways:
1. If they keep doing this
Every NBA team is desperate for big wings that can defend multiple venues. Regardless of the situation, each team is trying to stack its roster with players who can dribble, pass and shoot. In broader terms, Boston has the blessing of two former No. 3 picks that will fit these descriptions.
But the Celtics have a chance of a championship as Jason can play games like Tatum and Jalen Brown. This When they need it most. If a sequence serves as an evening microcosm, Brown Goran would start a quick break with a block on Drake and Tatum finished it with a powerful bite.
The best part of that play? Brown’s ridiculously quick recovery after Drake’s ball was faked. He was everywhere in Game 3, pushing turnover and pushing Miami’s defense without being reckless with the ball.
Tatum and Brown realized they needed Miami to react to them. The most encouraging thing is, they didn’t push a ton of bad shots. It’s also not natural when it comes to making it for others at this stage of a relative’s career, but it comes with it. And while they’re relocating and relocating, it’s very hard to beat Boston.
“We really wanted to attack,” Stevens said. “If we put it on the floor, we want to go to the shore and make a game for ourselves or for others. And then if we don’t push the ball defensively, if we wait to attack, we want to stink. “So, the pressure will go too and see if we can get better.”
Stevens said he was not bothered by the fact that the Celtics lost Thursday’s game. For them, it was more about how he lost, and who the Celtics would show themselves later. If this is who he is – and this is how Tatum and Brown are going to perform – then Miami has to play at a much higher level compared to Game 3.
2. Grass, grass
After his right ankle in Game 1 of the first round, Gordon Hayward returned to the lineup for the first time, Boston looked like himself again. Hayward came out of the bench, and his presence would have made every bench lineup more meaningful than it used to be.
After a month’s leave, Hayward didn’t steal aggressively. He just fit into what the Celtics were doing, running pick-and-rolls, moving without the ball and serving as a connector. Boston went on its centerless lineup – Walker, Hayward, Brown, Tatum and Marcus Smart – many times, and the sheer amount of playmaking on the court was evident.
“It’s all about bringing him back,” said Tatum, describing the team as more dynamic, more versatile and “so much better” with Headward.
Stevens did not expect Hayward to play 31 minutes, but some mishap made it necessary and an extended break made him durable. He scored just six points in 2-for-7 shooting but has four assists, five rebounds, three steels and one block.
“It’s a steady force for our team,” Sevens said. “He can only play right and play for someone else at the right time.”
An example: With about three minutes left in the game, Boston had a 10-point lead and looked set to get a hit stop. The Celtics used most of the start-up clock to try to create an advantage, but failed to do so until Hayward set the drive-and-kick corner 3 to Walker.
3. Super hero?
It’s surprising that the Heats were only 63-50 down half the time considering how aggressive they run. Bost started the game with the smart guard Dragic, an adjustment that was clearly meant to disrupt the Dragic-Adebayo pick-and-roll.
Although de Debayo was fantastic, this was a success – Dredic could not find any kind of rhythm. Jimmy Butler was not particularly insistent, and, if not for the heroism of the hero, would have been a complete disaster for Miami in the first half.
Hero scored 18 points in the first half in a 6-for-10 shooting, including a 4-for-6 from Nanda. In a stretch that lasted two minutes and 17 seconds, he made four consecutive jumpers, three of them from behind the arc.
Boston should be happy about how he limited the Heroes in the second part, and the Heat needs to find out what’s been going on since its sluggish start. The series may be led by Miami, but its offensive issues are getting into more and more trouble. The Celtics played a more agile, more aggressive game on Saturday, and the Heat have a few days to figure out how to react in the same way.
