Derrick White pushes Celtics towards NBA Finals
1 HR AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Derrick White has been fantastic Expand
1 HR AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Derrick White has been fantastic against the Miami Heat. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Derrick White since joining the Boston Celtics at the February 10 trade deadline. As Brad Stevens made moves to improve the roster, the common consensus was that Boston needed additional shooting, ideally from a player who would actually get minutes in the rotation.
Stevens is a stellar basketball mind, and for all the logic surrounding adding a perimeter threat, he opted to go a different route, bringing in White to accentuate the talent that already resided on the team. White’s scoring has never been a strength, but it’s also rarely been a hindrance to the level it has been since joining the Celtics.
Even throughout his poor shooting, White has displayed a propensity for making the right basketball play and has proven capable of injecting energy into the rotation from the bench. Ime Udoka’s offensive system is predicated on quick Collapse
NBA Draft Combine reveals potential 2nd round targets for Celtics
7 HRS AGO - David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
With the NBA Draft only about a month away, last week’s Expand
7 HRS AGO - David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
With the NBA Draft only about a month away, last week’s combine offered an opportunity to see some potential fits for the organization I know, I know... we’re all so invested in this postseason run. The Celtics entire franchise should be focused on winning games and competing for an NBA championship right now. Coaches, players, support staff — the opportunity they find themselves in currently is what they work their entire lives for.
The scouts on staff? Their job doesn’t stop or change just because the Celtics are making such a deep run. Last week, the entire scouting community descended upon Chicago for the 2022 NBA Draft Combine. Executives and scouting representatives from all 30 teams got to meet with prospects in interview settings, watch them workout in empty gyms, get official measurement and testing information, gather relevant medical background, and see some of them compete in 5v5 scrimmages and drills.
The combine, albeit overrated in Collapse
Jaylen Brown bounces back to close Game 5
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics All-Star led the team to a Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics All-Star led the team to a win after a disastrous first half. The Boston Celtics completed one of the best second half turnarounds in league history this season. Midway through January, the Celtics were stuck around .500, but now they’re one game away from advancing to The NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
Jaylen Brown completed a similar turnaround in Saturday night’s 93-80 win over the Miami Heat in Game 5.
In the first half, Brown was responsible for four of Bostons’ 10 turnovers, scored only six points, and shot just 2-of-7 from the field. However, in the second half, Brown was one of the primary reasons behind the Celtics’ dominant victory.
After the contest, head coach Ime Udoka revealed what he told Brown after his rough stretch. His message was to stop acting surprised and to be stronger with the ball in his hands.
You’re acting like you’re surprised that they’re reaching and poking it from behind. Collapse
Marcus Smart and Robert Williams to both play in pivotal Game 5
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics have a chance to pull within one game of the NBA Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics have a chance to pull within one game of the NBA Finals with a win tonight in Miami. Good news: Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III will both suit up tonight for the Boston Celtics as they take on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals series that’s tied 2-2. Smart has been dealing with ankle soreness and swelling but evidently is feeling much better after going through warmups. Robert Williams will be day-to-day with knee soreness for the rest of the playoffs, but thankfully, he’s good to go today after having a huge impact in Game 4.
AVAILABLE. pic.twitter.com/6ggALBxY6v— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 25, 2022
On the Miami side, Tyler Herro has been ruled out for the second straight game with a groin injury. Jimmy Butler’s been dealing with knee soreness that kept him out of the second half of Game 3, but he’s warming up with the intent to play. The rest of the Heat questionables (who have been questionable pretty much Collapse
Boston Celtics Daily Links 5/25/22
2 DAYS AGO - Grant Williams vs Heat 5/23/22 | Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
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2 DAYS AGO - Grant Williams vs Heat 5/23/22 | Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place. Herald Rob Williams bides his time
Globe Jayson Tatum named to first All-NBA First Team over Joel Embiid
Julian Edelman, other Boston athletes react to Texas school shooting
Why were the first 4 games of this Celtics-Heat series so noncompetitive?
Celtics say Marcus Smart, Robert Williams are questionable for Game 5
Doncic, Mavericks force Warriors, Western finals back to California
Jayson Tatum named All-NBA first team
CelticsBlog CelticsBlog film study: mismatch hunting pays dividends in Game 4
CelticsPod: hustle & intensity
Jayson Tatum named to All-NBA First Team
Marcus Smart, Robert Williams are game-time decisions for Game 5
ESPN NBA playoffs 2022 - A tribute to the great, exhausting, ugly Boston Celtics-Miami Heat series
Lowe - The biggest questions that could decide Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 5
Celtics .com Collapse
CelticsBlog film study: mismatch hunting pays dividends in Game 4
2 DAYS AGO - Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Jayson Tatum feasted Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Jayson Tatum feasted on smaller defenders to the series at 2-2. Game 3 might have been a horrendous half of basketball, but if the second half comeback taught us anything, it’s that the Miami Heat are susceptible to being exposed on switches. For all the talk of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Victor Oladipo, and P.J. Tucker as defensive menaces, the Heat have multiple weak links in their rotation.
That’s why it came as no surprise when the Boston Celtics began hunting out weaker defenders every time Miami’s defense got set in the half court. Suddenly, Boston’s offense looked unstoppable. We’ve seen this type of relentlessness from the Celtics before when Ime Udoka implemented a similar strategy in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
At this juncture of the postseason, defensive switching is ubiquitous when guarding screening actions, regardless of if a team has their big playing drop defense. Guards and wings Collapse
Derrick White’s ‘new dad energy’ helped the Celtics earn a much-needed win
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
After missing Game 3 because of the Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
After missing Game 3 because of the birth of his son, White harnessed his dad powers when the Celtics needed him most. Derrick White took a page out of Fred VanVleet’s book on Monday night.
When the Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019, he stepped up big in The Finals. The series prior, VanVleet welcomed his second child. So, when he outperformed expectations in The Finals, people began to credit his “dad strength.” White channeled that same strength in Game 4 against the Miami Heat.
White missed Game 3 of the series due to the birth of his first child, Hendrix James White. So, when DPOY Marcus Smart was ruled out with an ankle sprain in Game 4, expectations for White were raised. And with the help of some dad strength, he delivered, helping lead the Boston Celtics to a series-leveling win.
And to cap off the big Celtics win, @Dwhite921 just became a daddy!!Huge congrats and welcome to the world, Hendrix James Collapse
Celtics PRIDE podcast: Game 4 instant reaction and celebrating our 100th episode
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The returns of Derrick White and Robert Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The returns of Derrick White and Robert Williams sparked a spirited effort at TD Garden Monday night. The Celtics PRIDE Podcast is celebrating Episode #100 with an instant reaction to the Celtics’ Game 4 win over Miami. It’s a solo episode for Josh Motenko as he recounts how the Celtics beat the Heat and attempts to give some big picture perspective of the Eastern Conference Finals as a whole.
The Heat were 0-14 from the field to start the game due to the Celtics defensive intensity and the basketball gods putting a lid on the Heat rim. Derrick White had the first half the Celtics needed from their point guard with Marcus Smart out of the lineup, as White scored the Celtics first 7 points of the game. He added 3 steals and sold some important foul calls against the Heat that lead to Boston shooting an astounding 26 free throws in the half (including 14 from Jayson Tatum alone).
In this short episode, Coach Josh breaks down Collapse
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics Eastern Conference Finals Game #4 5/23/22
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics look to even the series as they host the Heat for Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics look to even the series as they host the Heat for Game #4 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
For the second straight series, the Celtics go into Game 4 down 1-2 and need to win this game to even the series and give themselves a chance to win the series. The Celtics have beaten themselves in the two games that they lost. Of the 12 quarters played so far, the Celtics have won or tied 10 of them. In Game 1, the Heat out scored the Celtic 39-14 and in the first quarter of Game 3, the Heat outscored the Celtics 39-18. Those two losses made the difference between winning and losing two games.
In Game 3, the Heat came out with an edge and played very physical basketball, going up by 26 points in the first half. They still led by 15 going into the 4th quarter. The Celtics pulled to within 1 point with 2:40 to go in the game. But then they allowed Max Strus to hit a 3 pointer and turned the ball over for another score and that was the end of Collapse
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Close out and rest up: winning Game 6 is more than just beating the Heat
3 HRS AGO - Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images
A lack of rest days in the month of May makes a Game 6 Expand
3 HRS AGO - Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images
A lack of rest days in the month of May makes a Game 6 win over Miami even more meaningful for the Celtics. With five games in the books, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat would very likely attest that, second only to the opposing team on the court, the biggest obstacle in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals may in fact be the schedule itself.
This postseason, playoff games have come and gone in a rather inexorable fashion. With few exceptions, the second round and onward have proceeded with just one day off in between games in a given series, even when teams need to travel between cities. This has benefits from a viewer’s perspective, as days without playoff basketball have been generally rare. But from a performance standpoint, these teams are being driven hard, and the consequences are becoming evident on the court.
Wednesday night’s Game 5 tilt between the Celtics and Heat illustrated this effect. It was an absolutely grueling rock fight Collapse
Boston Celtics Daily Links 5/26/22
22 HRS AGO - Payton Pritchard vs Heat 5/25/22 | Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
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22 HRS AGO - Payton Pritchard vs Heat 5/25/22 | Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
All the Celtics news you need in one convenient place. Herald Celtics take 3-2 series edge with 93-80 Game 5 win
Tatum wants to get it right in Game 6
Globe 6 takeaways as Jaylen Brown turned Game 5 and led Celtics over Heat
Here’s what Jimmy Butler had to say after the Heat’s Game 5 loss
Grant Williams discussed why he’s ‘at the top of the list’ of NBA role players
Celtics head home looking to close out top-seeded Heat
Celtics dominate Heat on the road in Game 5, and other observations as they near an NBA Finals berth
Game 5 was ugly, but the Celtics are sitting pretty against the Heat
Celtics dominate Heat, 93-80, on the road in Game 5 to inch closer to NBA Finals berth
Jaylen Brown struggled, then came alive to lead the Celtics to a pivotal Game 5 win
‘We can’t think that it’s over with,’ although it’s hard to envision Celtics not reaching NBA Finals
No excuses: Banged up Collapse
Jaylen Brown on Boston’s defense: “we hang our hat on that side of the ball”
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Miami had their worst shooting night behind the arc all Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Miami had their worst shooting night behind the arc all year. “Defense wins championships” is a cliche, but boy, does it seem like no truer words have been spoken after Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics ended up winning in Miami 93-80. Down five at halftime, Boston put together a 32-16 third quarter and had the lead up to 23 in the 4th. Sure, shots started falling. In a nine-minute stretch between the final two frames, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 24 of Boston’s 30 points on 9-of-11 shooting. But ultimately, it was the Celtics defense, like it has all year, that lead to victory Wednesday night.
“The mental stress and strain we put on teams with our defense has worked and carried us through the playoffs at times,” head coach Ime Udoka said after his team held the Heat to 31.9 % shooting. “You saw it in the Brooklyn series. Guys started to wear down. (In) Game 7, it looked like (Giannis) Antetokounmpo Collapse
Boston Celtics at Miami Heat ECF Game #5 5/25/22
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics look to take control of series as they travel to Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics look to take control of series as they travel to Miami for a pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Eastern Conference Finals once again shifts to Miami for Game #5 between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. So far in the series, these two teams have alternated wins. The Heat won Game 1 118-107. The Celtics won Game 2 127-102. The Heat won Game 3 109-103. And the Celtics won Game 4 102-82.
Both teams have won one game at home and one game on the road. The Celtics will need to win one more game on the road if they are to win the series as it is now a 3 game series with the Heat holding home court advantage. For some reason each of these teams has won a game convincingly and then gone on to lose the next game.
Interestingly, this series has followed the same pattern as the Bucks series with the Celtics losing Games 1 and 3 and winning Games 2 and 4 with the Celtics and Bucks alternating wins. That series went to 7 Collapse
Marcus Smart, Robert Williams are game-time decisions for Game 5
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Both Celtics starters were listed as Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Both Celtics starters were listed as questionable on Tuesday night. Former SportsCenter anchor Dan Patrick used to say, “so-and-so was listed as day-to-day, but then again, aren’t we all?” For the Celtics and their injury report during the Eastern Conference Finals, no truer words have been spoken.
After officially being listed as questionable yesterday, Marcus Smart (right sprained ankle) and Robert Williams (left knee soreness) remain game-time decisions for tonight’s pivotal Game 5 in Miami. Smart left and returned in Game 3 after sustaining that sprain and subsequently missed the Game 4 blowout. Williams missed the final four games against the Bucks and Game 3 against the Heat from reoccurring swelling and soreness in his surgically repaired knee. It’s normal immediately after surgery and something that head coach Ime Udoka has said Williams will continue to deal with throughout the remainder of their playoff run.
Ime Collapse
Jayson Tatum named to All-NBA First Team
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The young superstar becomes the first Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The young superstar becomes the first Celtic since Kevin Garnett in 2008 to accomplish the feat. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been named to the All-NBA First Team. This marks his second All-NBA appearance after making All-NBA Third Team for the 2019-20 season.
The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA First Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) Devin Booker (Phoenix) Luka Dončić (Dallas) Nikola Jokić (Denver) Jayson Tatum (Boston) pic.twitter.com/D0H6GEDrea— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 25, 2022
Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, marking career-highs across the board for the 24-year-old. He shot 45.3% from the field and 35.3% from behind the three-point line in 76 games for the Celtics this season.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets joined him with the honors.
Jaylen Brown Collapse
A bounce back beatdown: 10 Takeaways from Celtics-Heat Game 4
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Boston evened the series at 2-2 by going Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Boston evened the series at 2-2 by going wire-to-wire in a blowout of Miami 1. The Boston Celtics did it again.
They bounced back and won a must-win game. Again.
While most know this version of the Celtics for their defensive excellence, their true identity is their resiliency. No matter what bad things may have happened in the previous game, this group puts it away and moves on.
Yet, as Robert Williams said postgame, the Celtics “shouldn’t have to get punched in the mouth to respond.”
But responding when down is better than not responding at all. That’s served Boston well in 2022 and it’s the reason they are tied with 2-2 with the Miami Heat.
2. With Marcus Smart out, Boston was going to lean on Derrick White for more. More minutes, more scoring, more defense. Just more.
White delivered. After most of his Celtics tenure has been spent providing value beyond the box score, White did plenty in Game 4 that showed up in the Collapse
Tatum pours in 31 points as Celtics even Eastern Conference Finals with 102-82 win
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images
After a historically loose performance in Game 3, Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images
After a historically loose performance in Game 3, Boston grabbed a commanding victory over Miami in Game 4. Resiliency has been crucial to the Celtics all season. In Game 4, Boston showed their resiliency and tough mindset again, winning at TD Garden, 102-82.
Jayson Tatum responded to the critics after a 10-point, six-turnover game on Saturday, leading the Celtics in scoring with 31. Derrick White scored the first seven points for the Celtics and filled in admirably for Marcus Smart, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Al Horford had a well-rounded game, scoring just five points but carrying Boston on the glass with 13 rebounds. Horford also had four blocks, leading the team defensively.
Defense was the key to the big win. The Heat’s starters struggled all night. Jimmy Butler finished with just six points, Bam Adebayo had nine, Kyle Lowry had three and PJ Tucker had zero.
Now, the most lopsided Collapse
Marcus Smart wins NBA Hustle Award
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Smart becomes the first two-time recipient. Boston Celtics Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Smart becomes the first two-time recipient. Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart has won the NBA Hustle Award. With the win, Smart becomes the first-ever two-time recipient. He won it for the first time in the 2018-19 season.
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been named the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Hustle Award, the NBA announced today. Smart becomes the first two-time winner of the Hustle Award after first earning the honor following the 2018-19 season. pic.twitter.com/ACMPchcWyP— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 23, 2022
Past winners of the award include Thaddeus Young (2020-21), Montrezl Harrell (2019-20), Amir Johnson (2017-18), and Patrick Beverley (2016-17).
According to the NBA, the Hustle Award was created to reward “players that do the little things that don’t often show up in the traditional box score.” It is largely based on the Hustle stats that the NBA began tracking in the 2016 postseason. These stats include contested Collapse
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Embrace this moment and enjoy this ride with the Celtics
5 HRS AGO - Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
These moments are precious and never guaranteed in the Expand
5 HRS AGO - Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
These moments are precious and never guaranteed in the future. Preface: There’s a lot of wrongness in the world and sports is largely a distraction from them. However, it can also be a bonding experience and object lesson for that same troubled world. So, I’ll try to frame this sentiment in the context of sports - not to dismiss or diminish the rest of what is going on elsewhere.
“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” ― Andy Bernard (The Office)
There’s something special about this team. That’s not a guarantee of anything, mind you. Everything could fall apart at any moment, and that’s part of the point here. Winning an NBA championship is very, very difficult and rarely does it occur without drama and overcoming ginormous obstacles along the way. So while we sit on the proverbial edges of our seats and stress out over every missed free throw, let’s also embrace the moments that make Collapse
A microcosm game: 10 Takeaways from Celtics-Heat Game 5
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Boston came up big in the second half in Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Boston came up big in the second half in Miami to take a 3-2 series lead 1. Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a microcosm of the 2021-22 Boston Celtics season.
The Celtics weren’t playing great in the first half, yet they weren’t getting beat badly either. The Miami Heat were playing better, but they couldn’t quite shake Boston.
Much like the 2021 portion of this season’s schedule, the Celtics were down, but you had the sense that they could, and would, be better.
In the second half, it was complete and utter dominance.
This isn’t about flipping the proverbial switch. It’s just about playing up to your potential and doing things as a team. When the ball started moving more, the Celtics started rolling.
And the defense was terrific, as it was even during the dark days of 2021. That’s been the one, true constant of this team.
That has them on the verge of heading back to the NBA Finals.
2. Much like Game 4, Collapse
Celtics escape first half lull and overpower Heat 93-80 on verge of NBA Finals
1 DAY AGO - Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics rode a 21-2 run between the third and fourth Expand
1 DAY AGO - Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics rode a 21-2 run between the third and fourth quarters to take full control of a game they seemed fortunate to be in through a messy first half. They’re now one win away from the NBA Finals. Payton Pritchard put it plainly at shootaround. Take care of the ball. Set the tone defensively. When the Celtics lost earlier in the series, he continued, it stemmed from turnovers.
It’d been repeated so often it wouldn’t be surprising if Ime Udoka said nothing at halftime after Boston turned the ball over 10 times and gave up nine offensive rebounds to a Heat offense that the Celtics held to 38% and 42 points before halftime. Boston sat with 37.
The Celtics’ defense gave them enough breaks to escape their offensive lulls, turning around a disastrous start into a runaway second half led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown that put them on the brink of the NBA Finals, winning 93-80.
Brown set the tone for sloppiness missing two fadeaway mid-rangers Collapse
CelticsBlog film study: solving Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in Game 4
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics were successful in forcing Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics were successful in forcing a lot of long-2’s in their blowout win. After spending so much time in the first and second round trying to optimize defensive matchups against Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics have taken a different approach with the Miami Heat. Instead of prioritizing personnel matchups defensively, they're less concerned with who's guarding who and rather where the shots are coming from, particularly against Miami’s two leading playoff scoring options, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
For the most part, it’s fairly traditional drop coverage that the old Brad Stevens’ teams would run against the pick-and-roll. Above, Grant Williams backs off Butler after Jayson Tatum is picked off by Adebayo and gladly allows Butler to shoot a long-two from fifteen feet.
In the past, Boston might have chosen to aggressively switch that action with Williams playing much higher on the screen and Collapse
CelticsPod: hustle & intensity
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics head into Game 5 looking to take control of the Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Celtics head into Game 5 looking to take control of the Eastern Conference Finals. Brushing off an awful Game 3 performance, the Boston Celtics took care of business on Monday night, blowing out the Miami Heat and proving there’s still plenty of fight left in the tank. Now, the series is tied up at 2-2, and both teams head into Game 5, looking to grab this series by the horns and steal all the momentum.
In today’s episode of the CelticsPod podcast, hosts Adam Taylor and Will Weir explore what we saw unfold in Game 4, primarily from an individual standpoint and from a schematic's viewpoint.
“Udoka sent his team out to hunt mismatches early and often. We’ve seen this before, in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks, and they had great success then. They were running inverted screen sets to get Jayson Tatum switched onto Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, or Gabe Vincent. No wonder he got to the line so frequently,” Adam Taylor noted when discussing how the Collapse
Boston Celtics Daily Links 5/24/22
3 DAYS AGO - Jayson Tatum vs Heat 5/23/22 | Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Herald Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Jayson Tatum vs Heat 5/23/22 | Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Herald Celtics start fast, finish off Miami in Game 4, 102-82
How Derrick White ‘set the tone’ in place of Marcus Smart in Celtics’ Game 4 win over Heat
Globe 6 takeaways as Jayson Tatum, Celtics eviscerate Heat in Game 4
Boston, Miami in tight series, though games are anything but
Jimmy Butler: ‘No excuse’ for Game 4 performance in Heat loss vs. Celtics
Don’t overlook the importance of the Celtics winning the battle of the bigs
If the Celtics don’t win the series, it will be one of the biggest blown opportunities in Boston sports history
Observations as Celtics run away from ice-cold Heat early to square the Eastern Conference finals, 2-2
Celtics vs. Heat live score: Game 4 news, injury updates, and analysis
Celtics cleaned up their messes and turned up the heat on defense in Game 4 beatdown
It was ugly and rugged, but an exceptional effort carried the Celtics to a crucial Game 4 Collapse
Robert Williams showed his value once again in Game 4 beatdown
3 DAYS AGO - Robert Williams alters a P.J. Tucker shot in the first half Monday. | Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Robert Williams alters a P.J. Tucker shot in the first half Monday. | Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics are a different team when he’s on the floor. Remember that scene in The Princess Bride where Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik break into the castle to save Buttercup?
They’re collectively wounded, and the gate is guarded tightly, but they devise a brilliant plan to prop the giant Fezzik on a wheelbarrow and light him on fire. They make themselves appear extremely intimidating and so terrifying that the opposition has no choice but to surrender.
The power of pure size, apparent fortitude and perceived dominance – even if somewhat feigned – goes a long way. Robert Williams may not be 100 percent, and he may not be his usual spry self, but his mere presence alone plays a role in overpowering the Heat.
If he continues to give the Celtics what he did in their 102-82 Game 4 win on Monday – 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 19 minutes – that’s more than enough help vault Collapse
Marcus Smart (ankle) ruled out of Game 4 against the Heat, Robert Williams (knee) to suit up
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Classic good news, bad news situation in the most pivotal game Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Classic good news, bad news situation in the most pivotal game of the season. Despite his comeback from a very severe-looking ankle injury in what many described as a Willis Reed moment in Game 3, Marcus Smart will be unable to suit up for the Boston Celtics tonight in a pivotal Game 4 against the Miami Heat as the Celtics trail the series 2-1 so far. On the bright side, Robert Williams III, who’s been day-to-day after a bone bruise from the second round brought soreness, is set to play tonight after missing Game 3.
#NEBHInjuryReport update:Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) - OUTJayson Tatum - AVAILABLERobert Williams - AVAILABLE— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 23, 2022
Essentially, the Celtics are in the same place they were entering Game 1 of the series when Smart had to miss a game due to his mid-foot sprain. The Celtics came out hot but had a historic meltdown in the third quarter as they surrendered a huge lead.
This is certainly not ideal, Collapse
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