[ad_1]
1. Sport 5 of the Japanese Convention Finals was a microcosm of the 2021-22 Boston Celtics season.
The Celtics weren’t enjoying nice within the first half, but they weren’t getting beat badly both. The Miami Heat have been enjoying higher, however they couldn’t fairly shake Boston.
Very like the 2021 portion of this season’s schedule, the Celtics have been down, however you had the sense that they may, and would, be higher.
Within the second half, it was full and utter dominance.
This isn’t about flipping the proverbial change. It’s nearly enjoying as much as your potential and doing issues as a workforce. When the ball began shifting extra, the Celtics began rolling.
And the protection was terrific, because it was even through the darkish days of 2021. That’s been the one, true fixed of this workforce.
That has them on the verge of heading again to the NBA Finals.
2. Very like Sport 4, Boston could not win this one with out Derrick White stepping up within the recreation’s early moments. Marcus Good picked up his second foul with 8:09 to play within the first quarter.
Enter White.
On his first actual offensive possession, White got here as much as display for Tatum. When Kyle Lowry jumped to make it a lure, White slipped the display to get within the paint for this floater:
White’s floater is his go-to shot. On this play, he doesn’t concern Bam Adebayo. As a substitute, White goes proper at him for the floater:
Within the second quarter, with Boston’s offense actually scuffling, White went attacked Duncan Robinson:
To shut the half, White did a superb job working the two-man recreation with Al Horford:
Within the second half, with Boston rolling, White went end-to-end for the pure hustle play to verify the Celtics stored the momentum:
Lastly, as Boston pulled away, White went again to attacking Robinson for one more floater within the lane:
That New Dad Power is flowing actually robust proper now.
3. Boston hung round within the first half, as we mentioned above. Within the third quarter, the Celtics dominated.
Boston outscored Miami 32-16 within the third quarter. The Celtics shot 11-of-18 and solely turned it over twice, after giving the ball away 10 instances within the first half.
The Warmth shot 4-of-24, together with 1-of-14 from behind the arc within the third interval. Miami solely gave it up one time, however they couldn’t discover any room to shoot. Once they did, their pictures weren’t even shut.
All in all, it was among the best quarters of two-way basketball the Celtics have performed all season.
4. Main the cost within the second half was Jaylen Brown. He scored 19 of his game-high 25 factors after the break.
Talking postgame a couple of depressing first half, Brown mentioned “The primary half was sh*t. We threw it away. Got here out and performed basketball within the second half.”
Boy, did he ever.
Generally all it’s good to get going is to get out and operating and see one go in:
Just a little later within the quarter, Ime Udoka known as an ATO designed to get Brown the ball the place he might assault in some house. It is a nice drive and higher cross to search out Grant Williams in his nook workplace:
On the subsequent journey, Brown once more had some house and he acquired to his pullup:
A bit after that, Brown isn’t messing round by over-driving the ball. He’s attending to his spots to rise and hearth:
Within the fourth quarter, Brown and Jayson Tatum labored collectively to place the Warmth away. This shot may be very well-contested. Irrespective of:
On this play, Tatum will get trapped late, however he doesn’t panic and Brown drills it from the parking zone. Bonus: have a look at Tatum celebrating Brown’s hit right here. Seems like two guys who like enjoying collectively, no?
Lastly, with the sport needing an exclamation level to complete issues off, Jaylen Brown supplied it:
Only a monster effort within the second half from Jaylen Brown to guide Boston to a pivotal highway win.
5. When Al Horford is concerned, good issues appear to occur for the Celtics. He doesn’t even need to be the scorer to make issues occur. It is a nice kickout to Jayson Tatum whereas working in opposition to the Warmth zone:
Within the second half, Horford confirmed simply how badly he desires to get to the NBA Finals. It is a coast-to-coast, “you aren’t stopping me” transfer from Horford for the and-1. This shot gave Boston a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish:
As Boston pulled away within the fourth quarter, Horford and Tatum attached once more. Horford goes instantly off the catch, which doesn’t enable Max Strus to stay with Tatum. Bam Adebayo is compelled to modify, however he’s too late to get to Tatum after Horford kicked it out:
6. Jayson Tatum ultimately discovered his shot, however his worth all through the sport got here as a playmaker. This was an excellent crosscourt discover to Jaylen Brown:
This one is a good instance of how effectively Tatum is seeing the ground proper now. Simply completely positioned to get Al Horford a triple:
Tatum additionally trusts his teammates. He might have thrown up a wild try on the rim on this late-clock spot, however he kicks to Marcus Good realizing that Liked and Trusted One would ship:
7. Rob Williams is a game-changing defensive piece. Look the place he begins this play and look the way it ends:
And as soon as once more. Williams helps within the paint as Gabe Vincent drives and someway, he teleports again to the nook to dam P.J. Tucker’s three-pointer:
The Celtics are a superb workforce with an important protection with out Robert Williams. They’re an important workforce with an all-time protection with Robert Williams.
8. Ime Udoka reduce his rotation on this recreation, as he largely performed simply seven gamers. Payton Pritchard acquired a bit first half run, however Udoka principally caught with simply Derrick White and Grant Williams off the bench. It didn’t appear to be something Pritchard was or wasn’t doing, however extra of a game-flow factor.
The most effective half? Pritchard by no means complained. He was locked in on the bench and celebrating all the large performs within the second half, similar to everybody else.
9. The Celtics are like sharks. Once they odor blood within the water, it’s over. Jayson Tatum handled Max Strus like chum right here as Boston pulled away:
10. One recreation from the NBA Finals.
The Celtics haven’t been on this spot since 2018. That 12 months an sudden bunch led by veteran Al Horford, a figuring-things-out Marcus Good, second-year participant Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink.
That group wasn’t able to take that step but. This group is.
It’s vital that Boston will get Miami down early and retains them down. As coaches wish to say, “Get them eager about trip.” If the Celtics try this, they’ll be enjoying of their first NBA Finals in over a decade.
Sport 6 is on Friday, Might 27 in Boston at 8:30 PM ET on ESPN.
[ad_2]
Source link
