Success has been the enemy of the Boston Celtics all season. Their historic 64-win common season was not a product of welcoming triumph with open arms. As a substitute, whereas they appreciated their accomplishments, they refused to relaxation on their laurels.
“If we’re simply going to take a seat again and be comfortable after each win, then that’s an unhealthy relationship with success, and it’s going to come back again to chunk us within the a**,” Joe Mazzulla stated after their January 13 win over the Houston Rockets.
In Sport 1 of their sequence towards the Miami Warmth, the Celtics received in blowout vogue. They punched Miami within the mouth from the opening tip, parlaying a 14-0 run to start out the sport right into a dominant 114-94 victory.
A fourth-quarter Warmth surge highlighted by Delon Wright going 5/5 from deep splashed some water in Boston’s face after they began sleepwalking. However that wasn’t their true wake-up name.
With roughly a minute left within the sport, as Jayson Tatum was going for a rebound, Caleb Martin got here careening into him. He undercut Tatum, inflicting the Celtics star to fall flat on his again.
Tatum popped up shortly, and it seemed as if Martin’s momentum was swayed by a Jrue Vacation shove, however none of that issues to the Celtics.
“I seen a man go down, and you already know, I received my man’s again 10 occasions out of 10,” Jaylen Brown stated at apply on Tuesday. “You’ll be able to’t inform what’s what within the warmth of the second, but it surely seemed like one thing slightly additional. So I stated one thing. But it surely seemed prefer it was simply basketball. It wasn’t intentional. So we preserve transferring.”
Photograph by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe by way of Getty Pictures
As Martin went to assist Tatum up, Brown slapped his hand out of the best way. The 2 gamers received into an altercation that led to double technicals.
“I simply informed him to observe that, you already know, ensuring it’s basketball performs being made on the market,” Brown stated. “We all know they prefer to play onerous and be bodily, however there’s a line. So simply ensuring that we’re not compromising the integrity of the sport.
“So, I simply informed him to observe it. On the time, it seemed like — can’t inform the entire parts, however from what I noticed – that’s all I did. I simply allow them to know that.”
Had the Celtics rolled on with their blowout of the Warmth in Sport 1, narratives would have been completely different. Boston’s dominance would have created a boring information cycle of “Do the Warmth have an opportunity?”
Now, Boston has much more wooden to gasoline the fireplace.
“Nah, I believe we like that,” Pritchard stated of if there can be any carryover from the incident. “I believe it was a pleasure to see that. And what it’s going to be like transferring ahead. And we’re prepared for that check. That physicality. And you may even see when JT received up immediately, it didn’t part him.
“Teammates had his again. So, we’re only one large household. We care for one another.”
It’s pure for a group to take their foot off the gasoline slightly bit when able as dominant because the one Boston was in on Sunday. And when Miami got here out red-hot within the fourth—they shot 13/14 to open the quarter—the Celtics’ drop-off in power was part of the issue. “I’d say 70/30 we are able to management,” Mazzulla stated of what went into Miami’s run.
However now, mixed with Martin’s hit on Tatum and Bam Adebayo’s questionable screening, the Celtics have ammo. They usually plan to funnel it into physicality.
“Higher is simply doing what we did with larger depth and better physicality – I believe that’s what Sport 2s name for,” Mazzulla stated. “The primary adjustment is to do what you probably did with the next degree of depth and the next degree of physicality. The small particulars we are able to get higher [at] on at each ends of the ground. [We] labored on that right this moment, however I believe step one is what mindset [and] what physicality we’re coming in with.”
Photograph by Megan Briggs/Getty Pictures
The Celtics and Warmth have a historical past that extends a number of a long time. Toughness has outlined the matchup. Onerous hits. Excessive-intensity basketball.
From Dwyane Wade’s doubtful play towards Rajon Rondo in 2011 to Jaylen Brown’s arm rip on Duncan Robinson from this common season, it doesn’t matter what the atmosphere is. When these two groups step onto the ground collectively, it’s going to be a struggle.
However now, Boston isn’t simply ready for it: They need it.
“I’d say so,” Brown stated when requested if the Celtics are extra able to embrace confrontation now than previously. “That’s what it’s. Each sport is a combat. You gotta win the sport, and also you gotta win the combat. Each of these issues are vital, and we embrace each.
“Being the higher, smarter group, but in addition being a group that’s prepared to dive on the ground. Being a group that is ready to set the tone bodily not again down. So you bought to win the sport, and you bought to win the combat.”
Each time a member of the Celtics will get requested about Matin’s play on Tatum, it’s met with a constructive response. Mazzulla preferred watching it. Pritchard stated it was a pleasure. Brown was wanting to again up his teammate. That’s the mindset.
Boston’s relationship with success might have been put to the check had they cruised to a win. However Miami threw in some heavy blows towards the top of the sport. Each metaphorically and actually.
And the Celtics are glad that they did.
