The 2-3 zone defense has been a nemesis of the Celtics at various points of the regular season, none more so than in the last week. Brooklyn and Miami play it more than pretty much any team in the NBA to help cover up to their defensive deficiencies while also lulling opponents into low percentage shots. Boston is an ideal candidate to use it against since it's a team that has been known for questionable shot selection all year. This roster has shot itself out of games twice against the Nets thanks to a zone defense, and also nearly blew a 23-point lead against the Heat on Monday night with a lackluster offensive attack against the zone in the final three quarters of the game.
Needless to say, it was no surprise that the Heat went back to it early and often on Wednesday night in a game with serious playoff implications for Miami. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, the Heat trimmed a Celtics lead to two (91-89) while Al Horford and Gordon Hayward rested on the bench. Both veterans were already playing far more than their usual minutes so Brad Stevens needed to buy some time and points in the meantime against the 2-3 zone with a shorthanded lineup (no Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris).
Ultimately, the Heat went away from the 2-3 zone look in the final three minutes of the game, a move that helped opened the door for Gordon Hayward’s standout performance down the stretch (six points in final three minutes), as he picked the Heat apart in the pick-and-roll and in mismatches that the man defense created. While Hayward should get pretty of praise for his play (team-high 25 points), there was another Celtic whose play in the fourth quarter was just as crucial and forced the Heat to go away from their best defensive weapon. The difference maker? None other than Jayson Tatum.
With Kyrie Irving struggling in the fourth quarter (just one point in five minutes before his surprise crunch-time benching due to five fouls/lackluster defense), Tatum served as the Celtics conductor to the zone offense for a large section of the fourth quarter, scoring nine straight points over two and a half minutes to change the complexion of the game. His playmaking and length make him a difficult matchup for any defense when he’s at his best and he forced Erik Spoelstra to throw in the towel with the zone.
Shooting
Tatum’s big fourth quarter began with some shotmaking at the 7:12 mark. Tatum gets the ball in rhythm here from Irving and is not dissuaded by a strong close out. His 6-foot-9 frame allows him to catch and shoot this ball in rhythm at the top of the zone and that punishes the Heat who use a stretch four (James Johnson) at the top of the zone. Tatum had been slumping from beyond the arc last month but he went 12-of-19 from downtown in the past week. No shot was bigger on Wednesday night than this one, and is a big reason he remains one of the most intriguing prospects in the NBA.
MONEY. pic.twitter.com/W35isxQQhk
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2019
Ruh roh....Gordon Hayward learned how to putt pic.twitter.com/kgxdtGecUK
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) April 4, 2019
big shots down the stretch pic.twitter.com/j5tBAtdUTA
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2019
Count it... 2️⃣1️⃣ points pic.twitter.com/LnBjoEzPAm
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2019
TATUM pic.twitter.com/ZwruAdtDRH
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2019