1. Win one to play yet one more.
That’s the main focus for the Boston Celtics.
We mentioned it earlier than: Boston can’t win 4 straight video games in a single evening. They need to do it sport by sport. In Video games 4 and 5, the Celtics have stayed targeted and dealt with the Miami Warmth with relative ease.
This one was a real group effort. 4 completely different Celtics had 21 or extra factors. Al Horford acquired on the boards for a game-high 11 rebounds. Rob Williams and Grant Williams contributed good minutes off the bench. The group protection snagged 13 steals, led by 5 thefts by Marcus Good.
It wasn’t an ideal sport, as Miami nonetheless shot fairly nicely. However after the halfway level of the primary quarter, the Warmth have been by no means actually within the sport. Boston by no means trailed and took the lead for good with 8:43 to play within the opening interval.
Right here’s how the Celtics saved the season alive.
2. Each as soon as and some time, there’s a play early within the sport that units the tone for every part that’s to return. In Sport 5, Marcus Good set that tone by getting on the ground on the primary possession:
That play informed TD Backyard that the Celtics have been prepared and weren’t messing round.
3. Possibly that runout layup acquired Jayson Tatum going, however he was on the assault from the leap. When Tatum will get downhill early, it’s typically a superb signal for him.
The Warmth aren’t related right here. Kevin Love solely half-hedges, whereas Kyle Lowry goes over the Al Horford display screen. That’s all of the runway Tatum wanted to get to the rim (and it ought to have been an and-1 too!):
Boston’s spacing right here is terrific. Additionally, what on the planet is Cody Zeller doing? The guess is he assume’s Tatum goes to flip the display screen from Rob Williams, however Tatum explodes to the rim uncontested:
4. Jayson Tatum functioned as Boston’s main playmaker in Sport 5. He had 11 assists and a few have been issues of magnificence.
This is among the greatest passes Tatum has ever made. He units up the protection completely, will get so large and deep into the paint that he pulls in your entire Miami protection. From there, it’s a beautiful hook-pass out to Marcus Good within the nook:
Late within the first half, Tatum once more did a pleasant job to drag the protection to him. This time it opened up Derrick White for a triple:
Good has turn out to be actually adept at slipping screens when he’s working the inverted two-man sport with Tatum. The ahead drops the dime on the guard in the midst of the lane:
With the clock ticking down within the third quarter, Tatum may have taken a few completely different pictures right here. As an alternative, he stayed affected person and zipped it to Rob Williams for the simple one on the rim:
5. There was a three-minute stretch to open the second quarter the place Jaylen Brown took over. This was the outdated staccato dribble from Brown to arrange the step-back three:
A few performs later, Brown drove the defender and took the hit on the rim earlier than dropping within the layup:
Boston was excellent on second possibilities on this sport. Not solely creating them, however scoring on them. This pullup three from Brown adopted an offensive rebound by Marcus Good:
6. Derrick White was on fireplace to start out the sport. Within the first quarter, White hit 4-of-5 pictures, together with 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
When White tossed on this late-clock fallaway, there was a way one thing was brewing:
That is simply easy, sensible basketball. As Brown goes into his submit sequence, White relocated to the break. That made the passing angle simpler on Brown to drop it off to him with the good discover:
When Boston’s offense is buzzing, they use flare and pin-down screens to get guys pictures with regularity. This was a pleasant flare display screen by Jayson Tatum and an on-time supply from Rob Williams to White:
One in every of Joe Mazzulla’s changes has been to present Tatum and Brown launch retailers after they get doubled. That is late within the clock. Miami doesn’t need Tatum taking this shot. He accepts the double and White is there as the discharge. As a result of White is feeling it, this one-dribble pullup beats the buzzer:
7. We confirmed you Marcus Good setting the tone from the primary play. Good’s play by no means actually waned from that second. He was locked in for the rest of his half-hour, as nicely.
The shot-clock is ticking down right here, however Good doesn’t panic. He catches Max Strus leaning on the closeout and will get into the paint for the layup:
Good was a giant a part of preserving Boston’s spacing stable. This play begins with Derrick White contesting Jimmy Butler on the rim. It ends with Good spacing to the nook in transition, and getting the additional cross from Al Horford:
With the Warmth sitting in as a lot zone as they’ve, Boston must be keen to step into pictures with confidence. This can be a good, fast cross by Jaylen Brown and Good lets it rip with out hesitation:
After considered one of his 5 steals, Good acquired to his spot within the wing and Jayson Tatum rewarded him:
8. Al Horford had nearly the right Al Horford sport. He made issues robust on Bam Adebayo, managed the glass and made a bunch of these additional performs.
No Celtic is best at making the additional cross than Horford is. Have a look at this spacing right here too. When Jayson Tatum is doubled, Horford is lifted into the right outlet spot. Bam Adebayo has to shut laborious to him, so Horford zips the cross to Brown for the triple:
The subsequent play we’re highlighting was easy too, however it was additionally very LOUD:
Posting up Kyle Lowry is lots like posting up Marcus Good: you have got a greater likelihood of dislodging a hearth hydrant. However Horford goes to work right here:
That is one other easy, however good instance of fast, efficient determination making:
9. Rob Williams made three of these ROB! Performs. Those the place you once more consider he’s the distinction in Boston profitable the title or not.
Jimmy Butler has largely destroyed Williams on switches on this sequence. Not this time:
When your large man wins you the additional shot, you reward him:
This wasn’t Boston’s final basket of sport, however it was the capper on the evening. And it sums up all of the potential that Rob Williams must be a really particular participant:
A pretend right into a one-dribble, pullup push shot? Let’s go!
10. Win one to play yet one more.
The strain is all on the Miami Warmth now.
Sure, it’ll nonetheless be a disappointing finish to the season for the Boston Celtics in the event that they lose this sequence, even with all of the comebacking they’ve been doing. However Boston was anticipated to lose after happening 0-3. They’re enjoying with home cash now.
Miami seems wounded and worn out. They’ve been battling for the reason that Play-In Event. Possibly the Warmth are operating out of steam. They’ve acquired to shut it on Sport 6, or issues would possibly totally boil over.
It’s vital the Celtics keep locked in. That goes with out saying, however it’s one sport at a time. Inside that one sport, it’s one possession at a time. String sufficient good ones collectively once more, and we’ll all be watching a Sport 7 in Boston on Monday evening.
