The Celtics and Heat are playing out one of the most unpredictable series in recent memory. The game-to-game and even quarter-to-quarter swing in momentum and quality of play by either team have been jarring. The most surprising statistic is that the team that has won has led by 20 points in those games. In Game 4, it was the Celtics’ turn to respond, and they did from the opening jump by starting the game on an 18-1 run and not looking back in a wire-to-wire blowout. In this article, we review the game and preview a decisive Game 5 in Miami.
1. Jayson Tatum bounces back big- the Celtics superstar received widespread criticism for scoring only 10 points in Game 3. Tatum was only 3 of 14 from the field and 1 of 7 for three-pointers. Jayson showed up to Game 4 wearing an outfit paying homage to Michael Jordan. On the court, Tatum put in a performance reflecting his Airness by scoring 31 pts, an efficient 8 of 16 from the field, eight rebounds, and five assists. Jayson answered the call for his team and delivered a big-time performance in a must-win.
2. Miami starters had a no-show, but credit goes to the Celtics’ defense-the Heat starters were putrid in their performance in Game 4. The starting 5 combined for only 18 points for the game, and it was the lowest tally in the history of the NBA playoffs. The performance was so bad that Victor Oladipo off the bench outscored the starters by 5 with a team-high 23 points. The Heat’s offensive struggles materialized themselves because of a tremendous defensive performance by the Celtics. The defense was swarming, aggressive and frustrated the Heat players.
3. Solving the turnover problem- the Celtics’ performance in this series has swung based on how they care for the basketball. In Game 3, the Celtics conceded 24 turnovers, the Heat had 19 steals, and outscored the home team 33-9. In Game 4, they lost the turnover battle 11-9, and the steals were even at 4. Ime Udoka must be preaching to his squad the need to take care of the basketball, and they win this series.
4. Bam Adebayo struggles with Rob Williams in the game-Bam Adebayo dominated Game 3 by scoring 31 points, a superb 15 off 22 from the field, ten rebounds, and six assists. However, there is no coincidence that with Rob Williams back in the lineup Bam only scored 9 points, masking 3 of 5 attempts from the field and six rebounds. Rob Williams is the rim protector that can limit Adebayo, and his presence allows Al Horford to put pressure on Bam at the point of attack.
5. Game 5 preview-what happens next is anyone’s guess in this wild series. Miami starters will not score an abysmal 18 points at home, but they need far more productivity from Adebayo and Butler. For the Celtics, they won by 20 points despite Jaylen Brown scoring 12 points and going 5 of 20 from the field. The question heading into every game in this series is who will be available for both teams. The Heat have Jimmy Butler, Tyler Hero, P.J. Tucker, and Kyle Lowry battling injuries in one way or another. The Celtics have Marcus Smart and Rob Williams battling injuries and playing only two out of the four games in this series.
Prediction- the pattern of this series is that the losing team rebounds in the next game and puts in a dominant performance. All signs would point to the Heat winning in Game 5. However, I think the Celtics are the better team because the Heat has outscored the C’s in only three quarters in this series. I think the Celtics keep the turnovers low, and Jayson Tatum puts on a virtuoso performance with Jaylen Brown to lead them to a huge win on the road.
Celtics 108-Heat 100.