The Celtics are their own worst enemy in Game 6 loss

In a less-than-shocking twist of occasions, the Boston Celtics stumbled their method to a Game 6 loss in opposition to the Miami Heat. Over the course of the sequence, a sample has emerged, and it’s value the Celtics sport after sport after sport.

Turnovers.

After committing 9 turnovers within the first half of Recreation 6, Boston adopted it up with eight within the second. For the fourth time this sequence, the Warmth scored 15 or extra factors off of Boston turnovers. In Recreation 6, that quantity was 17 in a sport the Celtics misplaced by solely eight.

With a hoarse voice exasperated by his group’s struggles, Ime Udoka ranted concerning the challenge throughout his post-game press convention. He famous Boston’s lack of progress in adapting to Miami’s bodily play-style.

“We had been too free with it. Them popping out bodily and us being caught off guard, which we shouldn’t be at this level. It’s about understanding who they’re. Like I stated, it’s the identical sort of turnovers, getting poked away or taking part in in a crowd and us being shocked that they’re going to achieve, maintain or seize. We gotta be higher.”

Jayson Tatum led the group with seven turnovers, and as Udoka talked about, most of them got here in the identical method they’ve been all sequence. Courting again to Boston’s third quqrter collapse in Recreation 1, the place Tatum notched six turnovers in a single interval, the ahead has been lazy together with his passes. Regardless of turning himself right into a top-notch playmaker this yr, he constantly throws the ball away.

Of his seven turnovers, three had been a direct results of a lazy cross. Whether or not it was Tatum throwing it to Miami or leaving it lofted within the air for too lengthy, his passes simply didn’t join.

Jaylen Brown additionally chipped in with 4 turnovers of his personal, and he too has been responsible of the identical sort of giveaways. The 25-year-old continuously finds himself caught in site visitors, dropping the ball within the course of.

For essentially the most half, this happens when a Warmth defender pokes the ball out from behind (as Udoka talked about) or when Brown makes an attempt to cross out of a nasty scenario. Two of his 4 turnovers in Recreation 6 had been of this nature (and the opposite two had been offensive fouls).

The Celtics simply can’t get out of their very own method, permitting the Warmth to get straightforward seems to be in transition. Outdoors of Jimmy Butler’s masterpiece of a efficiency, Miami has struggled to seek out constant offense within the half-court. However with Boston feeding them transition alternatives left and proper, they don’t should be efficient within the half-court.

Derrick White made a press release that was emblematic of Boston’s struggles on this sequence, successfully admitting that Boston has made life laborious on themselves.

“I imply, we’re annoyed, but when it was straightforward, it wouldn’t be us. So, we’re gonna get on this aircraft, we’re gonna go right down to Miami, and we’re gonna attempt to get this huge win in Recreation 7. We’ve been right here earlier than, and we’ve received loads of confidence on this group.”

Miami deserves all of the credit score on this planet, as they’ve pounced on each alternative Boston has given them. However that’s the purpose. The Celtics have gifted the Warmth a median of 15.7 transition alternatives this sequence. That quantity would have ranked second within the NBA in turnovers per sport in the course of the common season.

Butler has been phenomenal, Kyle Lowry is a warrior, and the Warmth roster is as resilient as they arrive. Boston has fought by means of adversity all season, however within the Japanese Convention Finals, they’ve put that adversity on themselves.

The Celtics have been nice in video games after a loss this season, and with their backs in opposition to the wall on Sunday, they may hope that development continues. Recreation 7 will tip off at 8:30 p.m. EST on Sunday night time in Miami.