It was looking good for the Celtics as they led the Heat 62-54 at halftime. The team outplayed the Heat without two starters in Al Horford and Marcus Smart. Then came the disastrous third quarter where the Heat outscored the Celtics 22-2 at one point. The Celtics responded with a 9-0 to stop the hemorrhaging but then Heat hit the gas pedal again with a 17-3 run. The Celtics were outscored 39-14 in the quarter and had a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Celtics won the final quarter by 6 points but were reminded that playoff basketball involves staying locked in for 48 minutes. So can the team respond to the Game 1 loss? In this article, we discuss the lessons learned and what to watch for in Game 2.
1. Turnovers were the heart of the 3rd quarter meltdown-the Celtics’ issue in Game 1 and specifically in that 3rd quarter was the turnover margin. The Celtics had eight turnovers in the quarter after having only 6 in the first half. The Heat played more aggressive defense in the third quarter and feasted by getting the team out in transition. Ime Udoka will show his boys the film highlighting the turnovers were unforced. The Celtics had two in the fourth quarter, and it is abundantly clear that if they take care of the ball, then they can win the next game.
2. Jayson Tatum needs to match Jimmy Butler-Jayson Tatum came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders scoring over 20 points in the first half. Jimmy Butler came out in the third quarter and amped the intensity in getting steals, making his midrange, and getting to the free-throw line. Butler dominated the defender that guarded him and galvanized his team to seize the momentum in Game 1. Without AL Horford and Derrick White, Tatum must dominate Game 2 and mirror his Game 6 from the last round to even this series. On the road, teams rely on superstars, and Tatum needs to deliver.
3. The return of Marcus Smart is key-the Celtics struggled in Game 1 with turnovers because their point guard who handles the ball and initiates the offense was missing. Jayson Tatum appeared worn down from playing Game 7 against the Bucks and having to bring the ball up the floor against the Heat who focus on pressuring the ball handler. It is unclear how healthy Smart will be in this game, but the Celtics need his presence to contain Jimmy Butler on the perimeter.
4. Celtics need to clamp down on Vincent and Strus-Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are two undrafted players having a big impact on the Eastern Conference Finals. Vincent is playing for the injured Kyle Lowry and did a good job in Game 1 of attacking the rim, making the open shot, and facilitating the offense with 17 points. Strus also played his part by being a three-point specialist, and his ability to defend has kept Duncan Robinson on the bench. The Celtics need to find a way to contain these role players and force Butler to put up another big number for the Heat to win.
5. Jaylen Brown needs an elite performance, and Grant Williams needs to step up-Jaylen Brown had 24 points in Game 1 which is a solid performance. However, if the Celtics win Game 2, he needs to be the third-best player on the floor by attacking his matchup and dropping buckets. Brown has not had a signature game in these playoffs and needs to deliver for his team. Grant Williams poured in 27 points in Game 2 to shock the basketball world but in Game 1, he scored only 7 points and took only five shots from the field. Williams needs to step up his performance on both ends of the floor to help his team escape Miami with a win
Predictions: the Celtics have shown the ability to bounce back in the playoffs after losses in the Bucks series. They will need Jayson and Jaylen to score 70 points to pull this game out. I think they will, and if they take care of the ball they are the better team. Celtics 108-Heat 102.
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