Five thoughts heading into Game 4 against the Miami Heat

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals is tonight, and this is obviously a pivotal game in this series. Tying things up means it’s a best of three and anything can happen. Going down 3-1 would be nearly impossible to overcome. 

Here are a few thoughts that finally get to escape their cranial prison. 

- This isn’t really about basketball anymore. 

The Celtics and Heat are two basketball teams playing up to four more basketball games to determine who will play for the National Basketball Association’s championship, but this isn’t about bouncing the ball and throwing it through the hoop. 

This is about who can trick themselves. This is about which of these guys has the will and the desire to move past their fatigue or injuries. This is about digging down into one’s core and finding some kind of spark that gets legs moving when they don’t want to anymore. 

The best of the best are who they are because of their brains and ability to reach something inside them other people can’t. Michael Jordan is 6’6” and played at about 200 lbs, with a mid-40 inch vertical leap. That's nice, but there are plenty of guys with similar measurables. Christian Braun walks into this year’s draft about that same height and weight with a 40-inch vertical and he’s projected to go in the bottom of the first round or fall into the second. Jaylen Brown is 6’6”, 220 or so, with a 40 inch vertical and he’s really good, but he’s not Jordan. 

If the Celtics can work past whatever fatigue they feel, especially if Brown and Jayson Tatum have to pick up the slack for injuries, they can finish games stronger and cut into Miami runs quicker. 

There's no reason to be losing quarters by 20. The Celtics are good enough to pull out of that spiral. And there's certainly no reason to be doing that at home. 

“It all started after the loss, just the approach coming into tonight, and the biggest thing is having this opportunity here at home,” Al Horford said this morning. “We understand what’s in front of us, and we embrace the challenge, we’re excited about it.”

The Celtics have been known to bounce back. They have to keep their focus to make that happen. 

- Robert Williams is an important bail out option

The Celtics sure love to get themselves into trouble by over-penetrating. Both Tatum and Brown do it a lot, and it’s where a lot of their turnovers happen. Brown has a real knack for getting cut off by the restricted area and having nowhere to go. Not only is he cut off by the baseline, he’s in the paint with a three-second call beginning. 

This is where Williams comes in. 

The Celtics have been bailed out by Williams for much of the season. Anyone leaving Williams to come over and help on Tatum or Brown is basically giving up two points. The threat of Williams helps keep defenders honest and it gives drivers an outlet in case they get stuck. 

As of right now, there's no new injury report for tonight, but man, the Celtics need him to play in a few games in a row here so they can get a little more space to work with. 

- I think perspective is important on this season. 

This sure will sound like I’m preparing myself for a series loss, but really, it’s just a moment to snap into perspective how much Boston has outplayed expectations this season. 

This was supposed to be the evaluation year about how the Celtics needed to proceed in order to be contenders. Instead, they're still in the thick of the mix to win a championship. This is a pretty good spot for the Celtics to be in. They didn’t build a bench designed to support Tatum and Brown, necessarily. They're getting production from Derrick White, Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, and Daniel Theis from time to time. 

It’s an amazing run, and it’s a testament to (a) the power of Ime Udoka’s coaching, and (b) the power of playing together. If the Celtics can keep playing together, they’ll be fine. When they go off on their own and try to do too much, they get into trouble. 

- More Payton Pritchard, or just enough Payton Pritchard?

When you see a stat like this, it makes you think “wow, they need to play Pritchard more: 

But maybe they're playing him just enough to maximize what he’s giving them. It's hard to know what that line is. Each side has a point. 

I think it’s worth looking at if he can change the energy of games even in the midst of one of those crazy runs Miami goes on. I’ve argued that it would mean Pritchard gets targeted defensively, but (a) maybe that distracts Miami and disrupts their flow and (b) he might be able to shoot Boston out of whatever slump they're in. 

What I don’t want is desperation right now. It’s only 2-1 and Boston has been here before. Overreactions can be costly. 

- Tyler Herro is out tonight and, yes, that hurts Miami

Herro hasn't been shooting well and he's been targeted a lot on offense but him being out tonight with a groin strain is still going to hurt Miami. 

The Celtics still have to guard Herro. They still have to account for where he is, regardless of him being cold. Teams guard a player's capabilities, not how hot or cold he is.

Losing Herro hurts Miami.