Celtics

Got a prediction for how the next three games play out? Jimmy the Greek couldn't handicap this. The weather is more predictable. In Game 1, Miami, behind a 39– ...

In Game 5, the Celtics were more careful. Robert Williams limped off the floor in the third quarter. In Game 4, Boston kicked the ball around. They committed three turnovers in the first half. That’s the lowest output by any team in a playoff game in the last quarter century. The Heat finished the game shooting 33.3% from the floor and 38.9% from three. He chipped in a steal. He had three points in Game 1, a monster performance when compared to the goose egg he put up in 14 minutes in Game 2. He scored 105 points in three games after losses to Milwaukee last round. In Game 2, Boston led by as many as 34 before settling for a 25-point win. He took a charge. In Game 1, Miami, behind a 39–14 third quarter, won by 11.

The Miami Heat made a statement on the road in Game 3, seizing the advantage in the series, but the Boston Celtics responded in style.

The scores and that kind of thing doesn't really give the true indication of how competitive it is. We just weren't getting the kind of purposeful execution that you need to on the road and then they were able to kind of get some relief points from that and get to the free-throw line. They jumped out to that lead and that was the story for the rest of the game."

The Celtics scored the first eight points of Monday's Game 4 and never looked back, cruising to a wire-to-wire blowout win against the Heat to even the ...

"I think we have to have that mindset going into Game 5 that it is a must-win game, because tonight was essentially something like that. The Celtics, meanwhile, played like the desperate team from the jump -- helping themselves improve to 5-0 coming off of losses in these playoffs as a result. "Last game, even though I didn't play, I noticed the slip-ups that we had on the defensive end, and that's where we hang our hat at. "We understood we have to be more aggressive and physical on the defensive end. "That was a focal point coming into this game, to just have a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor, from start to finish. In a series that has seen each game swing wildly from one direction to the other, it took about 10 seconds to realize Game 4 would follow a similar pattern.

The Heat wouldn't use injuries as an excuse for Monday's 102-82 loss to the Celtics, with coach Erik Spoelstra saying the team has "proven" they can return ...

"Whenever we tend to do that, we tend to play well. "Injuries is a part of this," Heat center Bam Adebayo said. "It's a part of playoffs. "This is part of the playoffs. "The margin for error for either team -- whatever they have done to us, we can do to them. "We've proven that we can do it," Spoelstra said.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics pounded the Miami Heat early, jumping out to a 26-4 lead and cruising to a 102-82 victory.

The Celtics took a 29-11 lead into the second quarter and led 57-33 at the half. Butler was in the starting lineup after missing the second half of Game 3 with swelling in his right knee. Miami missed 15 of their first 16 shots in the second straight game that was all but over after 12 minutes.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early.

The Heat led 39-18 after the first quarter of Game 3 of this bizarre series in which no game has been close down the stretch. Victor Oladipo led the Heat with 23 points. Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics took their turn pounding the Miami Heat early Monday night.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Celtics demolished the Heat in Game 4, sending the series back to Boston tied at two games apiece.

6. Al Horford scored just five points and still put together a nice game — 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. Then they went to smaller lineups where they don’t have a lot of rim protection there, so we were really trying to get to the paint, attack. Obviously I was ready to get back to play, but I didn’t doubt myself. “I’m a big believer in you can’t change what happened. “So came out with the right mindset but have to duplicate that Game 5 coming off a win as opposed to only when we lose it.” “When they’re giving us reads, you’ve got to make the right play,” Williams said. “Like I said, though, coming out of this game, no doubts in my head. On the other end, the Celtics stuck Williams in the dunker’s spot — an adjustment astutely noted by the Athletic’s Mike Prada. Doing so forced Miami’s defense (which lacks rim protection) to stay back and defend the Celtics’ drives around the rim, rather than allowing Adebayo to roam around in space where he’s comfortable. We shouldn’t have to get punched in the mouth to respond. “I think we only had [3-4 turnovers] in the first quarter,” Ime Udoka said. “We need to work on being better in that aspect. After Victor Oladipo scored the team’s first field goal — a 3-pointer — they didn’t score again until there was 1:50 remaining.

The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics will play Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday. Here's how to watch, with gametime and TV information, ...

- The Celtics and Heat have played a total of 26 playoff games and four playoff series all-time. The Celtics went on a 10-0 run to close the first-half of play, cutting the Heat’s lead to 15 points, but the Heat were ultimately able to hold on thanks to some big shots by Bam Adebayo and Max Strus late in the game. Early on, the Heat came out firing offensively in the first quarter of play, opening the game on a 24-7 run and taking as much as a 26-point lead at one point late in the first-half. On the other side of things, Jaylen Brown stepped up and scored 40 points for the Celtics, but Jayson Tatum had just 10 points and Boston’s bench was nonexistent all night long. Not to mention, Boston did not help themselves by turning the ball over 24 times! - 3 Things We Learned From Heat-Celtics Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 On Saturday: The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 109-103 on the road in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday to reclaim home court and take a 2-1 series lead ahead of Monday’s Game 4.CLICK HERE. - The Heat finished the regular season ranking fifth in defensive rating and fifth in points allowed per game (105.6), while the Celtics finished the regular season ranking second in defensive rating and first in points allowed per game (104.5). - The Celtics (17) and Heat (3) have combined to win 20 NBA championships. The Heat are 15-11 against the Celtics in the playoffs, including this postseason, and Miami is 3-1 against Boston in playoff series, including being 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, beating them in 2012 and 2020 to advance to the NBA Finals. - The Celtics recorded 21 assists on a total of 34 made shots (61.8%), whereas the Heat recorded 22 assists on a total of 43 made shots (51.2%). Perhaps the biggest impact for Miami though came from Victor Oladipo, as the former All-Star guard started the second-half in favor of the injured Jimmy Butler and delivered some massive minutes on the defensive-end of the floor, causing headaches for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown all night long as their primary defender. - The Miami Heat are looking to make it back to the NBA Finals for the second-time in the last three seasons.

The Celtics-Heat Eastern Conference final has been a back-and-forth series with neither team able to win consecutive games.

But even in victory, the Celtics still had a weird game. "Sometimes when you have two really competitive teams, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a one-point game," Spoelstra said. In Game 4, the roles reversed. The conference finals in different ways have been duds. "Outside of these crazy runs, you have two really competitive teams," he said. Boston was up 34 in Game 2.

The Celtics responded well to their Game 3 loss, just as they have all season, but it's now onto Game 5 and how they respond to a victory.

Even for the hardiest teams, an unlucky night could be their undoing, and that’s even if their defense plays at peak levels like Monday. That outcome is what the Celtics are looking to avoid as it’s now a race to two wins. Whenever the season ends, the Celtics should be commended for their grit and adaptability. It’ll be a grind to the end — whenever that is — as both teams are nursing injuries. But obviously when we lose a game, we feel like the next game is do-or-die, and then we come out and play like we did.” There’s still time for the Celtics to reach their ceiling, whether that’s making it to the NBA Finals or winning the whole thing. But the Celtics must play with the same urgency of a must-win game in all of their contests — not just when the pressure is at its toughest.

Among the players listed questionable: Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Marcus Smart, Max Strus, P.J. Tucker and Robert Williams III.

Obviously we were just trying to overcome that the rest of the game,” Tatum said. Boston turned the ball over a 2022 playoff-high 24 times in Game 3, leading to 33 Miami points. He had missed eight of the previous 10 games with a right hamstring injury. Miami returned the favor in Game 3, building a 26-point first-half lead en route to hanging on for a 109-103 victory despite star Jimmy Butler sitting out the second half with swelling in his right knee. The Heat also wrapped up their first-round series against Atlanta without both Butler and Lowry. Finished the game, but he’s gonna feel it a little more today,” Udoka said.

Boston and Miami keep trading blowout wins in their playoff series.

He averaged eight free throws a game in the regular season, among the best in the league. In Game 3 against the Bucks, Tatum had only 10 points and shot 4 of 19 from the field. It was the exact kind of energy that Boston sorely missed in the first half of Game 3. He was aggressive in attacking the basket, getting to the line 16 times, more than any other game in this playoff run. The Celtics have not lost two games in a row the entire postseason. In large part, this was because of the presence of Celtics center Robert Williams III, who missed Game 3 because of knee soreness. They also won in spite of a poor game from guard Jaylen Brown, who shot 5 for 20 from the field for 12 points. Heat center Bam Adebayo, who finally broke out for 31 points in Game 3, reverted to being tentative, shooting the ball only twice in the first half. Amazingly, the last time there was a lead change was in Game 2, in which the Celtics led by as many as 34. Most of the starters were out of the game for good by early in the final quarter. In Game 3 on Saturday night, the Heat went up by 26 points in the first half. It hasn’t been a question of being home or away, since each team has won a game on the road.

Sure, Miami missed some looks it normally makes, but Boston's defensive masterpiece was the story of the night. A pivotal Game 5 is tomorrow night back in Miami ...

It's a fresh start under Mike McDaniel. The pass-catchers will get a ton of YAC. The offensive line is much improved. With OTAs upon us, it's time to identify some breakout candidates for the 2022 NFL season. They will run the ball. General manager Calvin Booth is expected to take over Connelly's position in the Mile High City. The 18 points by starters are fewest in a playoff game since starters began being tracked in the 1970-71 season. The money being given to Connelly says as much. And that's where, in retrospect, things never fully materialized for Real Madrid. Mbappé and his family never signed an official document or contract with Real Madrid. They only held negotiations for a contract discussed verbally. But to lose in four games to an in-state rival with your best players silenced is never a good feeling. They scored three goals total in this four-game series. The Lightning are eight wins away from changing that. But a start like the Celtics had last night certainly helps a lot. The Heat's first field goal came with just over three minutes left in the first quarter.

The wild swings continue as Boston never trails and leads by as many as 32 to smash Miami and knot the series at 2-2.

White got tossed into the deep end of the pool Monday, having to fill in for the injured Smart (ankle). All he did was come out on blast, scoring Boston’s first seven points in a start that eventually ballooned to 18-1. You kind of just learn it on the fly, try not to step on any toes, which kind of sets you back personally.” There are moments in the second half when Boston’s big lead ebbed and flowed when veteran big man Al Horford seemed to be stabilizing the whole arena. Horford refused to let that happen by leading the way in two huge areas: rebounding and defense. As a team, Boston out-rebounded the Heat 60-39 and had 11 blocks to the other guys’ two. “So I just try to let him know we’re thankful for him. That meant upheaval and pressure to live up to that hefty price tag. “Just letting him know that he can be comfortable with us,” center Robert Williams III said. Said Spoestra: “You know, sometimes when you have two really competitive teams, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a one-point game. “What you’re looking at is a great series,” he said. Which only shows the folly of counting quarters. Yet it still won the game by 20.

And not very entertaining. While Steph Curry and the Warriors are a win away from sweeping the Mavs, the Celtics and Heat are all tied up at two games apiece ...

The Heat used a big third-quarter run in Game 1 to win by 11. Now the series goes back to Miami and good luck trying to predict what will happen there. The suspense that you look for in a huge playoff game was never there. The Celtics needed a win at home to even the series. The game was never entertaining. The Heat needed a win to take control of the series before heading home to Miami for Game 5.

With Jimmy Butler slow, Kyle Lowry slower and Tyler Herro in courtside couture, the Celtics' defense wasn't survivable.

At the start of the playoffs, sportsbooks had them as low as fifth in the odds to win the East despite their top seed. And everyone wearing green and white was locked in on the game plan, which included keeping bodies in front of Adebayo and forcing midrange shots. "This is what you want," Spoelstra said. When the Heat pulled out the surprising Game 3 win on Saturday, they were aided by a load of Celtics turnovers that fueled offensive chances, leading to an astounding 33 points. Kyle Lowry is still coming back from a hamstring injury and is just 5-of-17 shooting in the two games since returning to the lineup. "We can do it in the mud. "This is part of the playoffs, there are these extreme highs and lows," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Spoelstra was once again a Coach of the Year candidate for his ability to consistently piece together a functional engine. The injuries don't have much time to heal. That has been Spoelstra's guiding principle when faced with adversity through the years, and it remains so now. Jimmy Butler is playing through inflammation in his right knee and looked to have issues getting lift and separation, and shot just 3-of-14. Spoelstra is speaking the truth.

The Boston Celtics could not have asked for a better time for Jayson Tatum to rediscover his best form than on Monday night.

We never could get any kind of grip on the game." "We're not making any excuses. I didn't doubt myself."

Boston looks to even the series without the reigning Kia Defensive Player of the Year.

The Miami Heat made a statement on the road in Game 3, seizing the advantage in the series, but the Boston Celtics responded in style.

The scores and that kind of thing doesn't really give the true indication of how competitive it is. We just weren't getting the kind of purposeful execution that you need to on the road and then they were able to kind of get some relief points from that and get to the free-throw line. They jumped out to that lead and that was the story for the rest of the game."

Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Robert Williams swarmed Miami's Bam Adebayo and took the ball away in the third quarter on Monday. By Chad Finn, The Boston Globe.

Here’s to good health the rest of the way. On offense, Williams did stay relatively earthbound by his usual soaring standards. And so what a relief it was that he not only gave it a go on the aching knee, but was his usual active, often electrifying self as the Celtics seized early control and refused to let up. The word that Williams, who missed Game 3 with knee soreness and had meniscus surgery in late March, would play seemed essential to the Celtics’ chances, even more than having floor-leader and defensive menace Smart out there. It was impressive stuff for a 36-year-old carrying a heavy workload this postseason. Horford also contributed his usual array of intangibles.

The strange, back-and-forth Eastern Conference finals continued on Monday night as the Boston Celtics crushed the Miami Heat in Game 4, 102-82, in a game ...

The Celtics' defense was incredible at times, and played a big role in the Heat's struggles. Aside from making a few more shots, the big difference was that Tatum was more under control and the Celtics put him in better situations to succeed. With the series now tied at 2-2, action will shift back to Miami for a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 102-82 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday to even up this series at 2-2 heading back to Miami ...

In their two losses in Games 2 and 4, the Heat have averaged just 35.0 points in the paint and have averaged 18.0 free-throw attempts per game. Coming out hot and starting strong has opened up these massive leads in this series and if either side can get going from deep early on in Game 5 on Wednesday, then we could be in store for yet another blowout victory. Maybe injuries have a lot to do with this, but just look at the trends so far. Defensively, Boston was locked in for this game and as they continued to get stops on defense, their offense began to click. Heading into Game 4 on Monday, the Heat led this series 2-1 after beating the Celtics in Game 3 by six points. Scoring 31 points on 8-16 shooting, Jayson Tatum looked like his All-Star self after a poor 10-point performance in Game 3.

For the Celtics to return home a win away from reaching the NBA Finals, they'll have to play with the same edge they had in a must-win Game 4.

We shouldn't have to get punched in the mouth to respond." The Heat played like a team that already got what it came for, but Boston couldn't allow that to influence them. Game 4's win was the latest example of that. We need to work on being better in that aspect. It required refocusing, which for Tatum meant bouncing back from arguably the worst showing of his playoff career. That was also true on Monday, where it's safe to say Boston's season was on the line.

The Boston Celtics bounced back in a huge way as they pounded the Miami Heat in Game 4 to set up a pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Heading into a pivotal Game 5, there is plenty on the line for both teams. The Celtics cruised to a 20-point victory to tie the Eastern Conference Finals at 2-2. For the Celtics, some of that same narrative could follow should they lose to the Heat. This Boston core has gotten close time and time again.

Boston evened the series at 2-2 by going wire-to-wire in a blowout of Miami.

He waited way too long in what was largely a 20-25-point game in the fourth quarter to pull the regulars. He just has to wait for Al Horford and Derrick White to cut and suck in the weakside defenders. But for that to happen, the shooters have to hit shots. He’s often responsible for the Celtics getting off to good starts. 7. For the Celtics offense to function at it’s best, they have to be a drive-and-kick team. Jimmy Butler has done a pretty job of getting his body into the Celtics defenders to create space on drives or to draw a foul. It was a tour de force for the Celtics veteran leader. 6. A big part of the defensive dominance was Rob Williams helping Al Horford control the paint. Now, the Celtics have a plethora of players who can work the middle or a zone. This is outstanding play design to open the second half. Going right at Strus is becoming a recurring theme for the Celtics the deeper this series goes: He’s probably the best Boston player about pushing pace and he does so here before throwing the alley-oop to Jayson Tatum:

For Boston sports fans of a certain age, the Celtics single-handedly absolved the Red Sox, Bruins, and Patriots of their sins. The Sox hadn't won in nearly a ...

They should do it for the Cooz, who's still sharp as a tack at age 93, defending his era's honor against the insolent likes of J.J. Redick. They should do it for Russell, the greatest champion in the history of team sports. The Lakers, meanwhile, are in crisis. Behind the league's most stifling defense and a three-point bombing offense, the Celtics simply flattened their competition. We could legitimately be looking at the birth of the NBA's next mini-dynasty that should once again make Boston a destination. And once they get there, they'll need only four wins to restore the franchise to its rightful place atop the all-time NBA hierarchy, dropping the Lakers back to second, where we can all agree they belong. Instead, the Suns bounced them in the first round. When the Celtics imploded in the 2020 bubble vs. Kyrie Irving's departure had doomed the organization to middle-class mediocrity, despite the presence of potential superstar Jayson Tatum. What franchise can lose Irving, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier in rapid succession, replace them with a broken-down Kemba Walker, and recover? For Boston sports fans of a certain age, the Celtics single-handedly absolved the Red Sox, Bruins, and Patriots of their sins. The Celtics always stood in their way, and we loved it. When Bird raised their 16th banner in 1986, the Lakers ranked a distant second with nine. LeBron and AD weren't going anywhere and the Lakers opened 2021 as favorites to repeat.

Our Chris Forsberg has been a resident of Time Lord island for some time now and after watching his impact on Game 4, Robert Williams' health and ...

“It's just swelling a little bit, stiffening up on me a little,” Williams said of the knee. Williams missed four weeks and the start of the postseason after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus. While all of Boston’s defenders went up a level, it’s hard not to notice the difference with Williams on the floor. Neither the Bucks nor the Heat were able to score on Boston’s set defense with any regularity. Even with Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart sidelined by an ankle injury, Boston’s four remaining starters -- along with Derrick White -- ratcheted up their intensity while limiting the Miami Heat to just a single point over the first 8:38 of Monday’s Game 4 en route to a breezy 102-82 win that evened this Eastern Conference finals series at two games apiece. The Heat posted an impossibly low offensive rating of 65.7 in all halfcourt sets during Game 4.

The Boston Celtics forward has shown impressive resiliency during the 2022 NBA playoffs by giving his team excellent performances after a loss.

The next challenge for Tatum and the Celtics is winning Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. Tatum didn't shoot well from 3-point range (1-of-7) but he made 14 of his 16 free throw attempts and was aggressive in driving to the basket. The Celtics have suffered five defeats in the postseason so far, and they have bounced back with a win every time.

The Celtics are a different team with Robert Williams in the lineup, and Game 4 reinforced his size and athleticism are difference-maker in this series.

Sometimes, it's the second day, which is obviously game day." Spending a lot of time with the trainers. When asked about the specifics of his knee injury, Williams shared: "It's just swelling a little bit, stiffening up on me a little.

ESPN's Nick Friedell joins Chris Forsberg to discuss how the Heat will respond to the Celtics blowing them out in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

They believe it, but can it actually happen in Miami on Wednesday night?" "He said after the game, 'I'm good, it wasn't an excuse, I'm not worried about it.' Historically when Jimmy says he's not worried about something, that means it's on his mind a little bit," Friedell said. ESPN's Nick Friedell joined Chris Forsberg on a new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast to share his thoughts. Butler was a non-factor in Miami's Game 4 defeat. "When you get your ass kicked that bad, I think that is a pretty solid response to have. The series now heads back to Miami tied 2-2.