Celtics vs. Sixers, Game 5: 3 things to watch

A heartbreaking loss on the final possession of additional time isn’t how most of us envisioned the Boston Celtics ending sport 4 of their second-round playoff collection towards the Philadelphia 76ers. Sports activities may be like that, although. One second you’re using the crest of a wave. The subsequent, that wave comes crashing down with a thud, and actuality begins to set again in.

For the Celtics, that actuality is that they spurned a chance to go 3-1 up on the collection and head again house to shut issues out in entrance of a raucous Celtics crowd. As an alternative, the Celtics are actually in a finest 2-out-of-3 contest with a rival that possesses a former MVP and the present MVP – each of whom are beginning to make their presence felt.

Doc Rivers drew first blood in sport 4, and now, all eyes can be on Joe Mazzulla as he continues to counterpunch his approach via his maiden NBA postseason. I like counterpunchers, although. They’re good, witty, fast, and prefer to set traps, all issues that may assist you to win a battle of the minds. As such, let’s have a look at three issues that might impression the Celtics’ possibilities of profitable on Tuesday night time.

Determining Philly’s facet pick-and-rolls

Photograph by Stephen Nadler/PxImages/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos

I wrote about this earlier at this time, so it’s solely becoming that I record it as one thing we have to regulate. In sport 4, the Sixers discovered continued success all through the primary 2.5 quarters by working empty-side pick-and-roll actions that occurred on the wing. The Celtics’ protection struggled to comprise James Harden and Joel Embiid as they started to assault the area the shortage of strongside low man created, and rapidly, the Sixers’ two-man sport started to look as harmful as marketed.

Fortuitously, the Celtics started to determine issues out halfway via the third, shut down the Sixers’ offense, and clawed their approach again into the sport. Now, the problem can be limiting the effectiveness of these screening actions from the soar. Canceling screens, having a further helper or roamer accessible, and ‘icing’ the ball-handler as he comes off the display screen will all be helpful instruments on the Celtics’ disposal.

At this level, it’s fairly clear: restrict the Sixers’ screening sport, and you are taking away their most potent weapon. Having the TD Backyard crowd behind you and Joe Mazzulla’s changes in your pocket ought to all go a protracted technique to making these screening actions as tough as potential.

Get Jayson Tatum going.

Photograph by Stephen Nadler/PxImages/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos

For all of the damaging issues mentioned about Jayson Tatum’s first-half efficiency in sport 4, the very fact is that he produced an entire sport. Dominant on protection, controlling the glass, and discovering his scorer’s contact when his workforce wanted him probably the most — Tatum placed on a present.

However, discovering a technique to get Tatum going early and avoiding his notoriously gradual begins might be one other approach through which the Celtics can soar out to an early lead. Positive, you’re most likely going to sacrifice a few assists and rebounds from Tatum for those who function him on offense early. However I’m certain we will all agree {that a} high-scoring night time from Boston’s star participant is strictly what he wants at this level within the post-season.

I’m calling a 35+ level night time, with 10 rebounds and 6 assists from Tatum on this sport, as a result of when the lights begin to shine brightly, he often finds a technique to ship, and the lights don’t get a lot brighter than a go-ahead sport towards the Sixers within the postseason.

Get Jaylen Brown extra second-half photographs.

Photograph by Stephen Nadler/PxImages/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos

There may be genuinely no motive why Jaylen Brown ought to solely be taking 5 second-half photographs in a sport, not to mention a postseason contest the place he’s appeared unstoppable across the rim. But, twice on this collection Brown has discovered himself working as a spectator within the latter elements of video games, and it begs the query: ‘Why aren’t extra units being run for him?’

Certainly, Brown holds extra worth as a scorer than he does as a flooring spacer? I get it; having him on the weakside is a assured approach of preserving the protection trustworthy and producing further lanes to the rim. But, ideally, should not Brown be the one tasked with ending on the rim? In any case, that is his and Tatum’s workforce — your entire rotation seems to be at its finest when each of them are supplied the liberty to play their video games.

Discovering a technique to get the ball in Brown’s fingers with out limiting Tatum’s skill to impression the sport has been a difficulty for the reason that Brad Stevens period, however that doesn’t imply you ignore the issue and have one in every of them in every half of the sport. So, I’m curious to see how Mazzulla seems to be to resolve an issue that has already hindered Boston’s offense in 2 video games this collection.

Last ideas

I don’t even need to think about having to return to Philadelphia in a win-or-go-home state of affairs. So, I’m manifesting a Celtics win tonight. They’ve been an amazing bounce-back workforce for over a yr at this level, so anticipating them to come back out on the TD Backyard and handle enterprise isn’t an excessive amount of to ask.

I don’t anticipate Harden to have one other massive sport, and Embiid will run out of gasoline in the end. As such, the Celtics ought to look to construct an early lead after which hold the Sixers at arm’s size till their nothing left of their gasoline tank. I, for one, need to be waking up on Wednesday excited to get a re-watch in and soak within the potentialities of one other Jap Convention ultimate run, however that each one begins with profitable on Tuesday night time.