On Saturday night in Miami, the Celtics had the highly-anticipated alternative to answer a Warmth workforce that stole one on the highway. For 3 days, the nationwide discourse centered round Boston’s gorgeous defeat — during which a Jimmy Butler-less Warmth workforce broke a franchise file for many three-pointers in a postseason sport.
And boy, did the Celtics reply, holding Miami to 12 first-quarter factors and simply 39 within the first half. They maintained a double-digit lead from the primary quarter on, regardless of taking pictures simply 29.7% from past the arc.
The ultimate 104-84 rating mirrored a bounce-back sport for the ages. It supplied reduction for the followers who spent 72 hours festering in how the Celtics had been simply by no means going to win a championship, whereas (briefly) halting the media discourse that Boston was simply not lower out for significant playoff success.
However, regardless of the noise, the religion within the locker room didn’t waver after one powerful loss.
“That’s the playoffs — typically, issues occur and you’ll’t get too excessive, can’t get too low,” Derrick White stated at shootaround the morning of Sport 3. “We’ve simply been attempting to bounce again fast, and make the changes we have to make. All yr lengthy, we’ve been doing that.”
Jayson Tatum echoed that sentiment: “You by no means wish to lose, particularly within the playoffs. However no one was down, proper? It’s a protracted sequence. We had been assured that we may come down right here and play higher, and that’s what we did tonight.”
Sure, there was a concerted effort to shut out higher on three-point shooters and enhance offensive spacing. However finally, the identical Celtic workforce that dropped one at house in Sport 2 dominated in Miami, largely as a result of they performed tougher, paid higher consideration to element, and didn’t overreact.
“On any given evening, groups can come out and hit a plethora of photographs,” Jaylen Brown stated after the win. “That they had a record-breaking evening the opposite day. However we don’t panic. We watched the movie, broke it down, noticed the place we may make some enhancements – and we come out and we executed.”
“We don’t panic” was a typical theme expressed by gamers after Sport 2. Kristaps Porzingis reiterated it a number of instances at apply on Thursday and Jrue Vacation stated the identical instantly after the loss.
“We may have had some higher closeouts in Sport 2,” Tatum stated matter-of-factly after the win. “We type of gave them some walk-up threes and issues like that – simply higher at contesting. It was type of an effort factor.”
Picture by Issac Baldizon/NBAE through Getty Photos
The elevated effort was seen in Sport 3, exemplified by the full-court fourth quarter press, Derrick White following up a Jaylen Brown missed free throw by crashing all the way in which from half-court, or Payton Pritchard’s tenacity on the glass. None of these performs highlighted main schematic modifications, however all mirrored a larger stage of depth.
“Typically, when you have got loads of time without work, you possibly can simply begin to provide you with all these items,” Mazzulla stated. “On the finish of the day, the sport is fairly easy. You gotta discover the easy issues which you can execute, the easy issues you possibly can take away. After which how do you simply deliver the proper mindset and physicality?”
It didn’t assist that the Celtics had two days off in between video games. Kristaps Porzingis, who went 1 for 9 on Wednesday evening, mirrored on how a lot the ready sport for a bounce-back alternative damage. He put up 18 factors on 5-9 taking pictures on Saturday, a way more efficient efficiency, and didn’t flip the ball over as soon as.
“Oh, man, it was a protracted two days, ?” Porzingis advised reporters, through CLNS Media. “Simply the way in which it burns inside after a sport like that, a loss like that. I imply, in all probability having my worst sport as a Celtic, it actually burned inside, I’m not going to lie.”
It’s just one win. The Celtics want 14 extra to hold Banner 18, and there’ll undoubtedly be extra losses on the way in which to the ultimate prize. Sports activities speak radio, and the NBA on TNT crew, can lose its religion within the Celtics after every loss – it’s what they do. After each Celtics loss, the dominant discourse will probably be hysterical.
Joe Mazzulla was requested if he knew the Celtics would deliver it tonight:
“I imply, I belief our workforce. I don’t count on them to play excellent, and I don’t count on the sequence to be simple, or to go a sure means. However I belief them. And I now they wish to win. They’ll do no matter it takes.” pic.twitter.com/kz6PYyi3KD
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) April 28, 2024
However Joe Mazzulla and his group received’t lose religion within the perception they’ll accomplish the final word aim after one poor displaying. On Saturday, they confirmed what they’ve executed all yr — that after a letdown loss, they reply.
“I belief our workforce. I don’t count on them to play excellent, and I don’t count on the sequence to be simple, or to go a sure means,” Mazzulla stated. “However I belief them. And I do know they wish to win, and I do know they’ll do no matter it takes.”
