Lack of composure leads to a loss: 10 Takeaways from Boston Celtics-Miami Heat

1. We’re going to start out this model of the Takeaways with the negatives, however then we’re going to shut with some positives. Sort of the alternative of the best way the sport itself performed out.

As Ime Udoka, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum all mentioned postgame, this was the sort of recreation the Boston Celtics will face within the playoffs. As they’ve been dominating groups, one factor has been clear: the Celtics put on you down. Boston amps up the physicality and finally different groups shrink.

The Miami Heat not solely didn’t shrink, they embraced and matched the bodily nature of the sport. That was a problem for a Boston group that has gotten used to being the bullies on the block.

And, sure, the Celtics had some composure points. There was a number of complaining to the officers all evening they usually reverted again to the one-on-one stuff late that plagued them earlier within the season.

But, Boston didn’t play nicely in any respect, however they had been within the recreation with a minute to go. That claims these are hopefully fixable points, versus a reoccurrence of unhealthy habits from the primary few months of the season.

2. You had a sense issues had been heading within the unsuitable path on the finish of the primary half. After taking a 52-47 lead with simply over a minute to play earlier than the break, Boston suffered a mini-meltdown. They allowed Miami to attain the ultimate six factors of the half, all on the free throw line. That stretch clearly included a number of fouls, however Jayson Tatum additionally picked up a technical foul and a turnover, whereas Jaylen Brown missed a layup.

Then, to open the third quarter, the Warmth began the half on a 16-6 push to open an 11-point lead. Sure, the Celtics responded with a 16-0 run to retake the lead, however this was clearly a scenario the place Miami had Boston pissed off for an extended than supreme stretch of the sport.

3. The turnovers…so many turnovers! 19 in whole, which led to 24 factors for the Warmth. Even with that being a considerably poor conversion charge, it was sufficient to make the distinction in a detailed recreation.

The true bummer is that the 19 giveaways offset some great passing by Boston all through the evening. The Celtics racked up 27 assists on 35 baskets. 5 gamers had between three and eight assists.

This was one the place the need to share the ball was too usually outweighed by the poor execution.

4. Within the fourth quarter, Boston shot 6-of-22 from the ground. And this wasn’t just like the early months of the season the place the Celtics missed three after three, both. They had been 1-for-8 from behind the arc, however that left them simply 5-of-14 inside it.

Right here’s the fourth quarter shot chart:

NBA.com

Not one of the 9 misses contained in the arc had been midrange pullups. They had been all within the paint. Together with 5 misses within the restricted space. 4 of these missed layups got here within the recreation’s remaining three minutes.

All too usually, it regarded just like the unhealthy late-game basketball from October to December. Gamers had been driving into the paint with no plan and throwing up contested pictures or flinging a wild cross again outdoors. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Sensible each did this a number of instances.

One final thing concerning the late-game offense: Miami trapped Jayson Tatum and trapped him arduous. As quickly as Tatum received the ball after crossing halfcourt, he noticed two defenders. Most of the time, he made the appropriate learn and received the ball shifting. He pressured a few seems to be, however that gave the impression to be out of frustration, greater than anything.

Groups are going to do their greatest to power another person to beat them. Boston has to determine the right way to free Tatum up, and different gamers additionally must ship when known as upon.

5. One final statement on the damaging facet, earlier than we flip to the nice issues: The Celtics pick-and-roll protection was bizarre. Usually, Boston performs up on the stage of the ball as a part of their switching all the pieces scheme. On this recreation, the Celtics had Al Horford, Grant Williams and Daniel Theis enjoying nearly in a pseudo drop protection.

That form of protection is okay towards Jimmy Butler. It can also work towards somebody like P.J. Tucker, who received’t shoot off the dribble. However towards Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Max Strus, that’s going to get you beat.

Postgame, Horford commented that the Celtics didn’t swap as a lot and that it could be one thing to take a look at. Possibly it was not having Rob Williams to guard the backline. Possibly it was intentional to indicate Miami a glance they received’t see within the playoffs. Possibly it was simply unhealthy execution. No matter it was, it wasn’t how the Celtics play protection.

6. As referenced above, Boston’s ball motion was good all recreation. Even with out Rob Williams, the Celtics can get their big-to-big actions working. This can be a good discover by Al Horford to Grant Williams:

Miami is admittedly good, just like the Celtics are, at rotating and recovering. You beat that by staying dedicated to driving and kicking:

Jaylen Brown doesn’t function a lot as a pick-and-roll passer, however this can be a excellent cross to Daniel Theis to arrange the dunk:

Talking of Theis: He was glorious on this recreation. He scored 15 factors off the bench and battled defensively. It was a giant recreation for Theis, whose function will enhance essentially the most with Rob Williams out of the lineup.

7. Marcus Sensible had a bizarre recreation. He shot simply 3-of-15 and he had six turnovers. On the flip facet, he had eight assists, 5 rebounds and three steals. And he made some signature Sensible performs too. Take the nice with the unhealthy, as per normal.

The mix of the deflection, steal and hit-ahead cross right here is pure Sensible:

You throw a lazy cross round Sensible, and he’s getting it. This could have been an and-1 too:

The no-look bounce-pass? C’mon! That is beautiful:

8. In opposition to a protection pretty much as good because the Warmth, it’s important to discover simple offense the place you may. Boston did that by getting out and working. 16 fastbreak factors is rather a lot, and the Celtics picked up a number of extra factors in transition too.

This can be a excellent fastbreak off a steal. Brown to Sensible to Tatum:

One other steal and one other break the opposite method. Tatum seems to be like he’s going to the Eurostep for a layup, however he makes use of his size to show this right into a dunk:

Each time Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson was the final man again, the Celtics eyes lit up. Jaylen Brown runs this proper down their throat for the layup:

9. The Celtics protection was fairly scrappy all through the sport. All of the turnovers created method too many simple seems to be for Miami, however when Boston might lock in (odd pick-and-roll protection apart), they had been superb.

He most likely received’t get an All-Protection nod, particularly if Marcus Sensible and Rob Williams get ones, however Jayson Tatum is an elite defender. He’ll tackle anybody and maintain his personal, as he does right here towards Tyler Herro:

That is locking up and never panicking late within the clock if you see a faux:

If Boston goes to make it by the primary spherical with out Rob Williams, Grant Williams has to step up. He had a tough recreation towards the Warmth, however that is actually good protection. Grant take the hit to the chest from Jimmy Butler after which does a terrific job contesting the step-back jumper:

10. This was the primary time shortly the Celtics regarded human towards a great group. This was solely Boston’s fifth loss because the finish of January. Three of the opposite 4 had been two towards Detroit and Indiana the place an absence of focus was very evident, and one was the throwaway towards Toronto.

It’s the one different loss in that blend that was much like this one, the loss towards Dallas. In that recreation, the Celtics encountered a bodily protection that made it arduous for them to run their offense. Similar to how Miami approached this recreation. It’s unclear if that’s the e-book towards Boston or not, deliver the physicality again to them and also you’ll throw them off. That’s one thing to keep watch over.

Luckily for the Celtics, they received’t see something like that within the subsequent two video games. Boston finishes out their common season house schedule with Indiana on Friday evening and Washington on Sunday afternoon. These are two video games the Celtics ought to win and will win simply. It’s a great probability to steal some invaluable in-game relaxation earlier than closing with three-straight on the street towards Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis.

Again-to-back losses aren’t nice, however it’s the primary time the Celtics have suffered that since early-January. So, it’s again to work to get again on observe, with simply over every week left within the common season.