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1. “That was Celtics basketball”
That quote was from Jaylen Brown postgame after the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks to even their second spherical sequence at 1-1. Brown was spot on.
Boston’s protection was stable sufficient in Recreation 1, however their offense was sort of a large number. Turnovers, lacking passes, turning down good photographs and never taking part in bodily sufficient had been all issues. In Recreation 2, the 2022 Celtics confirmed up.
Ime Udoka made a number of gameplan changes and the gamers executed them. It wasn’t excellent, particularly at factors within the second half, however Boston led by as many as 26 factors, by no means trailed and had been by no means actually threatened after halftime.
Robust and bodily on each ends, taking part in collectively, and digging deep via accidents. Celtics basketball certainly.
2. Jaylen Brown confirmed as much as TD Backyard and was on the courtroom working three hours earlier than the tip. He was locked in from the bounce and it confirmed. Brown scored 25 factors within the first half, and he did it in a wide range of methods.
It is a shot the Celtics can get with regularity towards the Bucks base protection. In Recreation 1, they turned it down repeatedly, as they took simply three midrange photographs. Right here, Brown accepts it and will get the shooter’s roll:
The fast begin for Brown translated to the defensive finish too. He shuts off Jrue Vacation right here after which finishes by blocking Vacation’s fadeaway:
Brown breaking Grayson Allen’s ankles despatched the group into hysterics:
While you’ve obtained it going, the basket seems to be as large because the ocean, irrespective of the place you shoot it from or the way you’re defended:
3. Whereas Jaylen Brown did the heavy lifting early on, Jayson Tatum obtained issues going within the second half. On three straight possessions late within the third quarter, Tatum appeared to recollect he’s greater and higher than Wesley Matthews.
First, Tatum can get this shot at any time when he needs. He simply must be prepared to rise and hearth over the smaller defenders:
On the subsequent journey, Tatum was known as for a considerably doubtful offensive foul. However as a substitute of going right into a funk, he obtained again to work on the third possession to drive for an and-1 probability:
4. In Recreation 1, Ime Udoka was effective with the Celtics taking 50 three-pointers. What he didn’t like was how these photographs had been generated. Udoka harassed that Boston is healthier after they assault the paint and discover shooters. Drive-and-kicks and a number of assaults had been the theme of the sport for the Celtics offense.
That is excellent offense. Jaylen Brown drives, which will get the Bucks into rotation. Derrick White has the secondary assault, whereas Milwaukee is scrambled. In the long run, Brown finally ends up taking pictures a 3 towards a late closeout from Brook Lopez, who needs no a part of defending out by the arc:
We’ll hit on this extra later, however Boston did an excellent job within the first half of pushing the ball. That allowed them to keep away from going towards a set protection. It is a good push by Jayson Tatum to get into the tooth of the protection earlier than discovering Grant Williams:
This play begins with Tatum accepting two on the ball and he skips it to White. White goes proper right into a dribble-drive earlier than kicking to Williams. From there, as a result of Lopez first picked up Tatum, then dropped on the White drive, it’s a straightforward swing to Al Horford to the triple:
On this one, Boston used many of the shot-clock. However discover that Brown hits the paint earlier than kicking to White. The Bucks protection is scrambled, as a result of Giannis Antetokounmpo needed to step over to assist as Brown drove. With everybody out of kinds, White swings to Tatum and Tatum takes one dribble earlier than firing the laser to Horford for the layup:
5. The above is what Ime Udoka was speaking about with producing totally different seems to be. Sure, Boston had loads of open and wide-open photographs in Recreation 1, however they got here early within the clock as a result of they took the primary out there shot.
It’s threading the needle to search out the stability between good shot and nice shot, with out overpassing. The Celtics hit it proper within the heart of the attention time and time once more in Recreation 2.
The shot profile total was higher too:
Nook threes – 9-of-17
Above the break threes – 11-of-26
Midrange photographs – 6-of-15 (not a terrific share, however the menace was there)
On the rim/within the paint – 12-of-22
That’s higher stability, even when three-heavy. But it surely’s how the seems to be had been created, towards scrambled protection after transferring and driving, that basically issues.
6. On the opposite finish, the Celtics managed Giannis Antetokounmpo once more. However this time it got here with a significant adjustment from Recreation 1. Boston hardly ever doubled him. And in the event that they did, it was solely very late within the clock. Al Horford and Grant Williams once more mixed as the first defenders on Antetokounmpo and so they once more held up very properly. Right here’s their mixed numbers in Video games 1 and a pair of:
Horford defending Antetokounmpo – 54 possessions, 19 factors on 6-of-22 taking pictures, 5 turnovers
Williams defending Antetokounmpo – 52 possessions, 18 factors on 8-of-18 taking pictures, two turnovers
Due to Horford and Williams’ capability to include Antetokounmpo with out assist, Ime Udoka deserted the double-team technique. Right here’s Williams stoning Antetokounmpo within the put up earlier than arising with the strip:
The Bucks tried to counter Boston defending Antetokounmpo 1-on-1 through the use of him as a screener. It labored for some time, till the Celtics adjusted and pre-switched some actions or fought via the screens and didn’t swap. It additionally helps when Rob Williams is lurking to wash issues up on the bottom:
7. One other key to the Celtics success towards Giannis Antetokounmpo was extra a team-wide accomplishment than something a person did. Boston obtained eviscerated in transition protection in Recreation 1. The Bucks had 44 transition factors, together with 28 fastbreak factors. In Recreation 2, Milwaukee had simply 15 transition factors, together with solely six fastbreak factors.
A few of that was an elevated focus by the Celtics on getting again on protection. However an enormous a part of it was Boston restricted turnovers. That they had 18 giveaways in Recreation 1, together with a number of live-ball turnovers that immediately resulted in Bucks baskets. In Recreation 2, the turnovers had been restricted to 13 and solely 4 had been live-ball.
We speak so much about protection turning into offense, however generally offense can flip into protection. Milwaukee needed to play towards a set Boston protection much more typically in Recreation 2 and it made an enormous distinction.
8. As for the Celtics, they did a a lot better job pushing tempo themselves and discovering straightforward offense. This was very true within the first half.
Sure, it is a late-clock look, however Jaylen Brown doesn’t gradual it down and dribble right into a contested three. He assaults, forces assist and finds Jayson Tatum for the layup:
Look the place Al Horford begins this clip. He’s on the baseline after contesting a shot on the rim. Derrick White collects the rebound and pushes. Discover how White holds it up ever so barely, as Horford sprints the ground earlier than White dimes him up for the layup:
It is a true fastbreak and turning protection into offense. Tatum will get he steal and he’s off the opposite approach earlier than leaving it for Rob Williams for the loud end:
Stealing straightforward offense is big towards a protection pretty much as good as Milwaukee’s is.
9. The Bucks made a few mini-runs within the fourth quarter, however Boston stored making performs to maintain that at bay. Jayson Tatum begins this play by moving into the paint earlier than kicking to Jaylen Brown. Then Tatum will get up and finds his method to the nook for probably the most open three-pointers he’s most likely ever had:
On the subsequent journey, Jaylen Brown collects the offensive rebound earlier than ending off the spinning layup:
A few performs later, Tatum once more drives and relocates for one more three:
One thing else to note on all three of those performs? Giannis Antetokounmpo is exhausted. He doesn’t contest Tatum on the primary three. He doesn’t problem Brown on the putback. After which he doesn’t even hassle to stay with Tatum as he relocates on this final one.
10. Playoff sequence are all about changes. Boston made a bunch in Recreation 2. Now, count on the Bucks to have some counters because the sequence shifts to Milwaukee.
In a single sense, the Bucks did their job by getting on in Boston. They’ve homecourt benefit now. However however, the Celtics had so many fixable issues from Recreation 1 and so they cleaned up most of them. Ime Udoka known as out that the staff nonetheless missed some drop-off passes to the bigs off drives and that they handed up some beauty inside too. Presumably that will probably be a spotlight earlier than Recreation 3.
Now, it’s about being ready for what the Bucks would possibly do in a different way. Milwaukee had some success with Giannis Antetokounmpo working as a screener within the second half of Recreation 2. Boston must have a plan for that.
With three days off, each side have loads of time to suppose via modifications. However in addition they have loads of time to overthink issues too. Not getting too cute is simply as essential as discovering a brand new wrinkle. And, after all, three days off are enormous for Jaylen Brown and Marcus Good to get their remedy for his or her accidents.
Recreation 3 is Saturday, Might 7 at 3:30 PM on ABC.
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