Boston Celtics: Have the C’s solved the Miami Heat? It sure feels like it
The Boston Celtics have solved the Miami Heat
Through three games in the Eastern Conference Finals, it sure feels like the Boston Celtics are the better team and that they have solved the Miami Heat. After blowing golden opportunities in both Games 1 and 2, the Celtics did not waver in Game 3 as they beat the Heat 117-106 to pull within 2-1 in the series.
Despite being down in the series, you can’t help but feel like the Celtics are clearly the better team and that they’ve stifled Miami for much of this series. That was very much evident in Game 3. Leading for most of the game, the Celtics looked like a team on a mission.
In a game that was highlighted by the return of Gordon Hayward, it was Jaylen Brown leading the way for Boston with 26 points. Jayson Tatum added 25, with Kemba Walker scoring 21 and Marcus Smart dropping 20.
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Hayward played 30 minutes and finished with six points, five rebounds, and four assists. His presence was clearly a factor on the floor and even allowed Brad Stevens to play small for longer stretches with Daniel Thies struggling with foul trouble – which could be a key to the series the rest of the way.
The best news of it all is the fact that Hayward will have four days to recover after his first game back in roughly a month. What has to be most troubling for the Heat is that this is two games in a row in which they’ve been thoroughly outplayed.
With the exception of the third quarter in Game 2, the Celtics won every quarter. They looked like the better team for much of the game too. In Game 2, the Celtics held Miami to 44 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent shooting from 3-point range.
That carried over into Game 3 and frankly, you can make the case that Boston was even better defensively. In Game 3, Miami shot just 38 percent shooting from the field and just 27 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Boston’s defense has a lot to do with that. Some adjustments that the Celtics made it Game 3 involved starting Marcus Smart on Goran Dragic, which threw Miami’s offensive attack off from the opening tip.
Additionally, the Celtics didn’t use Enes Kanter as much as they did in Game 2. Instead, the Celtics utilized smaller lineups (which was easier to do with the inclusion of Gordon Hayward. That simple move allowed Boston to switch more defensively. That, along with some first-half foul trouble on Bam Adebayo, helped the Celtics build off – and maintain – their early leads.
On Miami’s side, you could see some frustration. With Dragic tied up with Smart, there were little-to-no paint attacks early on in the game. It wasn’t until Miami got more aggressive late in the fourth quarter that the Heat began seeing some success on the offensive end. Then again, that could also be attributed to some let up on the part of Boston.
Jimmy Butler hasn’t been aggressive in any of the first three quarters of this series, and it’s sorely hurt the Heat’s early offense (perhaps that’s even why they’ve had to climb out of early deficits in each of the first three games in this series).
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Even down 2-1 in the series, it feels like the Boston Celtics are the better team. We’ll see if that corrects itself over the next few games in this series.