Celtics

Got a prediction for how the next three games play out? Jimmy the Greek couldn't handicap this. The weather is more predictable. In Game 1, Miami, behind a 39– ...

In Game 5, the Celtics were more careful. Robert Williams limped off the floor in the third quarter. In Game 4, Boston kicked the ball around. They committed three turnovers in the first half. That’s the lowest output by any team in a playoff game in the last quarter century. The Heat finished the game shooting 33.3% from the floor and 38.9% from three. He chipped in a steal. He had three points in Game 1, a monster performance when compared to the goose egg he put up in 14 minutes in Game 2. He scored 105 points in three games after losses to Milwaukee last round. In Game 2, Boston led by as many as 34 before settling for a 25-point win. He took a charge. In Game 1, Miami, behind a 39–14 third quarter, won by 11.

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have a lot of key players on their injury reports for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

- SHOULD THE BUCKS MAKE A TRADE? On Sunday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 7 to the Boston Celtics, which officially ends their 2021-22 NBA season in the second-round. Last season, they won the NBA Championship, and they will now enter an offseason where they can look to improve the roster to get back to the NBA Finals.CLICK HERE. They had beat the Celtics in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

The starting five of the Miami Heat had an historically abysmal performance in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Over 66 games in the regular season, Herro averaged a career-high 20.7 points per game, but started only 10 games. Miami was missing a key role player of its own in sixth man Tyler Herro, however. Oladipo was the only Miami player to play 30 minutes in the game.

Marcus Smart will miss his second game in the Eastern Conference finals, this time because of an ankle sprain suffered Saturday.

As he did in Game 1, Derrick White is expected to start in Smart's place. Smart had to be carried into the locker room, but he returned to the court and finished the game in almost no time. Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart will miss his second game in the Eastern Conference finals, this time because of an ankle sprain suffered Saturday, the team confirmed.

The Celtics scored the first eight points of Monday's Game 4 and never looked back, cruising to a wire-to-wire blowout win against the Heat to even the ...

"I think we have to have that mindset going into Game 5 that it is a must-win game, because tonight was essentially something like that. The Celtics, meanwhile, played like the desperate team from the jump -- helping themselves improve to 5-0 coming off of losses in these playoffs as a result. "Last game, even though I didn't play, I noticed the slip-ups that we had on the defensive end, and that's where we hang our hat at. "We understood we have to be more aggressive and physical on the defensive end. "That was a focal point coming into this game, to just have a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor, from start to finish. In a series that has seen each game swing wildly from one direction to the other, it took about 10 seconds to realize Game 4 would follow a similar pattern.

The Heat wouldn't use injuries as an excuse for Monday's 102-82 loss to the Celtics, with coach Erik Spoelstra saying the team has "proven" they can return ...

"Whenever we tend to do that, we tend to play well. "Injuries is a part of this," Heat center Bam Adebayo said. "It's a part of playoffs. "This is part of the playoffs. "The margin for error for either team -- whatever they have done to us, we can do to them. "We've proven that we can do it," Spoelstra said.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early.

The Heat led 39-18 after the first quarter of Game 3 of this bizarre series in which no game has been close down the stretch. Victor Oladipo led the Heat with 23 points. Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early Monday night.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Celtics demolished the Heat in Game 4, sending the series back to Boston tied at two games apiece.

6. Al Horford scored just five points and still put together a nice game — 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. Then they went to smaller lineups where they don’t have a lot of rim protection there, so we were really trying to get to the paint, attack. Obviously I was ready to get back to play, but I didn’t doubt myself. “I’m a big believer in you can’t change what happened. “So came out with the right mindset but have to duplicate that Game 5 coming off a win as opposed to only when we lose it.” “When they’re giving us reads, you’ve got to make the right play,” Williams said. “Like I said, though, coming out of this game, no doubts in my head. On the other end, the Celtics stuck Williams in the dunker’s spot — an adjustment astutely noted by the Athletic’s Mike Prada. Doing so forced Miami’s defense (which lacks rim protection) to stay back and defend the Celtics’ drives around the rim, rather than allowing Adebayo to roam around in space where he’s comfortable. We shouldn’t have to get punched in the mouth to respond. “I think we only had [3-4 turnovers] in the first quarter,” Ime Udoka said. “We need to work on being better in that aspect. After Victor Oladipo scored the team’s first field goal — a 3-pointer — they didn’t score again until there was 1:50 remaining.

The NBA Eastern Conference finals resume Monday with Game 4 between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Heat defeated the Celtics 109-103 in ...

He had a great stop on Butler backing him down to end the quarter and has been everything Boston needed with Marcus Smart down tonight. He’s not alone, of course, as Miami is 6-of-25. Yes, they needed every one of his 18 first-half points, and he’s 5-of-7 shooting. Not only has that allowed them to snag offensive boards on misses, but it's pinned Miami’s back line under the hoop on their perimeter drives. Miami’s defensive strategy — zone or no zone — is designed to conceal a soft underbelly at the rim. They protect the hoop by flooding the free-throw line extended, then use their speed to fly out to shooters. Great block there by Robert Williams, but he winced a bit afterward. May 24, 2022 at 2:12 AM UTC May 24, 2022 at 2:18 AM UTC May 24, 2022 at 2:24 AM UTC LeBron James’ individual dominance really kept most of the eight (!) straight conference finals his teams in Miami and Cleveland made between 2011 and 2018 from being all that competitive. Tatum finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists on 8-of-16 shooting from the field.

The Miami Heat made a statement on the road in Game 3, seizing the advantage in the series, but the Boston Celtics responded in style.

The scores and that kind of thing doesn't really give the true indication of how competitive it is. We just weren't getting the kind of purposeful execution that you need to on the road and then they were able to kind of get some relief points from that and get to the free-throw line. They jumped out to that lead and that was the story for the rest of the game."

Another Eastern Conference Finals game, another blowout. This time it was the Celtics getting up by more than 20 in the first quarter and routing th Heat.

It’s tough to draw any conclusions about a game like this — but every game in this series has been some version of this, with the teams trading turns blowing each other out. Victor Oladipo led the Heat with 23 points off the bench. Part of it was Boston’s defense played with the desperation of a team that knew it needed a win. Maybe it was all of the above. Teams get more rest in the first round, in series with less on the line, and both the Heat and Celtics are battling injuries and fatigue this series. When Butler isn’t right and Tyler Herro is out, the Heat struggled to create good looks or hit tough shots.

The Celtics responded well to their Game 3 loss, just as they have all season, but it's now onto Game 5 and how they respond to a victory.

Even for the hardiest teams, an unlucky night could be their undoing, and that’s even if their defense plays at peak levels like Monday. That outcome is what the Celtics are looking to avoid as it’s now a race to two wins. Whenever the season ends, the Celtics should be commended for their grit and adaptability. It’ll be a grind to the end — whenever that is — as both teams are nursing injuries. But obviously when we lose a game, we feel like the next game is do-or-die, and then we come out and play like we did.” There’s still time for the Celtics to reach their ceiling, whether that’s making it to the NBA Finals or winning the whole thing. But the Celtics must play with the same urgency of a must-win game in all of their contests — not just when the pressure is at its toughest.

With Jimmy Butler slow, Kyle Lowry slower and Tyler Herro in courtside couture, the Celtics' defense wasn't survivable.

At the start of the playoffs, sportsbooks had them as low as fifth in the odds to win the East despite their top seed. And everyone wearing green and white was locked in on the game plan, which included keeping bodies in front of Adebayo and forcing midrange shots. "This is what you want," Spoelstra said. When the Heat pulled out the surprising Game 3 win on Saturday, they were aided by a load of Celtics turnovers that fueled offensive chances, leading to an astounding 33 points. Kyle Lowry is still coming back from a hamstring injury and is just 5-of-17 shooting in the two games since returning to the lineup. "We can do it in the mud. "This is part of the playoffs, there are these extreme highs and lows," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Spoelstra was once again a Coach of the Year candidate for his ability to consistently piece together a functional engine. The injuries don't have much time to heal. That has been Spoelstra's guiding principle when faced with adversity through the years, and it remains so now. Jimmy Butler is playing through inflammation in his right knee and looked to have issues getting lift and separation, and shot just 3-of-14. Spoelstra is speaking the truth.

The Boston Celtics could not have asked for a better time for Jayson Tatum to rediscover his best form than on Monday night.

We never could get any kind of grip on the game." "We're not making any excuses. I didn't doubt myself."

BOSTON — In a day, in a week or however far into the future when people look back at Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, the absurd and historic will ...

It was a physical, aggressive defense, attacking on offense, and not waiting for us to get down to kind of muster up that energy.” We’ll take this hit and we’ll get back to Miami and get ready for Game 5.” “The toughest part was that he was able to get into gaps, get angles and draw fouls,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. The Celtics can’t count on going to the line 24 more times than Heat and they certainly can’t rely on Jimmy Butler, Adebayo, Strus and Tucker to all lay a collective egg again. Things are going to change from one game to the next. He was what the Celtics needed him to be.

Boston and Miami keep trading blowout wins in their playoff series.

He averaged eight free throws a game in the regular season, among the best in the league. In Game 3 against the Bucks, Tatum had only 10 points and shot 4 of 19 from the field. It was the exact kind of energy that Boston sorely missed in the first half of Game 3. He was aggressive in attacking the basket, getting to the line 16 times, more than any other game in this playoff run. The Celtics have not lost two games in a row the entire postseason. In large part, this was because of the presence of Celtics center Robert Williams III, who missed Game 3 because of knee soreness. They also won in spite of a poor game from guard Jaylen Brown, who shot 5 for 20 from the field for 12 points. Heat center Bam Adebayo, who finally broke out for 31 points in Game 3, reverted to being tentative, shooting the ball only twice in the first half. Amazingly, the last time there was a lead change was in Game 2, in which the Celtics led by as many as 34. Most of the starters were out of the game for good by early in the final quarter. In Game 3 on Saturday night, the Heat went up by 26 points in the first half. It hasn’t been a question of being home or away, since each team has won a game on the road.

Sure, Miami missed some looks it normally makes, but Boston's defensive masterpiece was the story of the night. A pivotal Game 5 is tomorrow night back in Miami ...

It's a fresh start under Mike McDaniel. The pass-catchers will get a ton of YAC. The offensive line is much improved. With OTAs upon us, it's time to identify some breakout candidates for the 2022 NFL season. They will run the ball. General manager Calvin Booth is expected to take over Connelly's position in the Mile High City. The 18 points by starters are fewest in a playoff game since starters began being tracked in the 1970-71 season. The money being given to Connelly says as much. And that's where, in retrospect, things never fully materialized for Real Madrid. Mbappé and his family never signed an official document or contract with Real Madrid. They only held negotiations for a contract discussed verbally. But to lose in four games to an in-state rival with your best players silenced is never a good feeling. They scored three goals total in this four-game series. The Lightning are eight wins away from changing that. But a start like the Celtics had last night certainly helps a lot. The Heat's first field goal came with just over three minutes left in the first quarter.

And not very entertaining. While Steph Curry and the Warriors are a win away from sweeping the Mavs, the Celtics and Heat are all tied up at two games apiece ...

The Heat used a big third-quarter run in Game 1 to win by 11. Now the series goes back to Miami and good luck trying to predict what will happen there. The suspense that you look for in a huge playoff game was never there. The Celtics needed a win at home to even the series. The game was never entertaining. The Heat needed a win to take control of the series before heading home to Miami for Game 5.

The Boston Celtics and seed Miami Heat face off on Wednesday at FTX Arena in Miami in Game 5 of their NBA Playoffs series.

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4. Al Horford played about as dominant of a five-point game as you'll ever see. He, along with Rob Williams, completely owned the paint for Boston. The two ...

He waited way too long in what was largely a 20-25-point game in the fourth quarter to pull the regulars. He just has to wait for Al Horford and Derrick White to cut and suck in the weakside defenders. But for that to happen, the shooters have to hit shots. He’s often responsible for the Celtics getting off to good starts. 7. For the Celtics offense to function at it’s best, they have to be a drive-and-kick team. Jimmy Butler has done a pretty job of getting his body into the Celtics defenders to create space on drives or to draw a foul. It was a tour de force for the Celtics veteran leader. 6. A big part of the defensive dominance was Rob Williams helping Al Horford control the paint. Now, the Celtics have a plethora of players who can work the middle or a zone. This is outstanding play design to open the second half. Going right at Strus is becoming a recurring theme for the Celtics the deeper this series goes: He’s probably the best Boston player about pushing pace and he does so here before throwing the alley-oop to Jayson Tatum:

Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Robert Williams swarmed Miami's Bam Adebayo and took the ball away in the third quarter on Monday. By Chad Finn, The Boston Globe.

Here’s to good health the rest of the way. On offense, Williams did stay relatively earthbound by his usual soaring standards. And so what a relief it was that he not only gave it a go on the aching knee, but was his usual active, often electrifying self as the Celtics seized early control and refused to let up. The word that Williams, who missed Game 3 with knee soreness and had meniscus surgery in late March, would play seemed essential to the Celtics’ chances, even more than having floor-leader and defensive menace Smart out there. It was impressive stuff for a 36-year-old carrying a heavy workload this postseason. Horford also contributed his usual array of intangibles.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 102-82 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday to even up this series at 2-2 heading back to Miami ...

In their two losses in Games 2 and 4, the Heat have averaged just 35.0 points in the paint and have averaged 18.0 free-throw attempts per game. Coming out hot and starting strong has opened up these massive leads in this series and if either side can get going from deep early on in Game 5 on Wednesday, then we could be in store for yet another blowout victory. Maybe injuries have a lot to do with this, but just look at the trends so far. Defensively, Boston was locked in for this game and as they continued to get stops on defense, their offense began to click. Heading into Game 4 on Monday, the Heat led this series 2-1 after beating the Celtics in Game 3 by six points. Scoring 31 points on 8-16 shooting, Jayson Tatum looked like his All-Star self after a poor 10-point performance in Game 3.

For the Celtics to return home a win away from reaching the NBA Finals, they'll have to play with the same edge they had in a must-win Game 4.

We shouldn't have to get punched in the mouth to respond." The Heat played like a team that already got what it came for, but Boston couldn't allow that to influence them. Game 4's win was the latest example of that. We need to work on being better in that aspect. It required refocusing, which for Tatum meant bouncing back from arguably the worst showing of his playoff career. That was also true on Monday, where it's safe to say Boston's season was on the line.