MIAMI — The Celtics got back to a strong defensive identity against Miami in Games 4 and 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was especially evident throughout Game 5, where they forced turnovers, challenged shots, and were getting deflections. It helped them get out to a 23-7 start to the game, forcing five turnovers in that span, three of them steals.
“When we get out to a great start it comes from being more physical, connected, and detailed,” Joe Mazzulla said in a Zoom call Friday afternoon.
“Their activity level has gone up the last two games,” Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “We're playing in a crowd quite a bit. Which, there can be some good things from that, if we read the game, read the coverages and make the appropriate plays.But you have to give them credit for the activity. They jammed us up several times in the paint with quick hands, strip-downs, things of that nature.”
Here’s a look at how the Celtics' defense helped fuel that big Game 5 win.
The Celtics did a great job on Bam Adebayo, attacking Adebayo’s dribble, waiting for him to put the ball on the floor and then pouncing. It’s how Marcus Smart started the game.
Smart attacked that dribble as it hit the court, leaving Adebayo powerless to do anything about it. Smart has talked about that as a tactic he uses for making his dives at the ball because the ball handler can’t adjust. The ball is just out there. But that's not the only way Boston bothered Adebayo. They went for the ball whenever he had it exposed, challenging his ability to hold onto the ball when making a move.
He turned the ball over six times.
“I think we're just more connected and we're not leaving guys on an island," Jayson Tatum said after the team's morning shoot-around. "We're helping one another. There's going to be mistakes, you're going to get blown past, you're going to mess something up, but I think the last two games we've just been on a string, being there, covering for one another. And I think that's contagious."
Boston’s help defense was lacking to start the series, but they’ve been able to pick that up the past couple of games. Look at how they swarm Adebayo here.
Al Horford attacks Jimmy Butler, Smart and Tatum then speed up Adebayo, then Horford and Tatum get back out to shooters and Adebayo misses the shot. That's normally a good look for Adebayo, but the pressure threw him off enough to force the miss.
The Celtics also did a pretty good job on Butler, who did shoot 50% but was limited to 10 shots. He also didn’t play the fourth quarter because of the score (and Spoelstra deciding to save Butler’s legs for Game 6), but nonetheless Boston’s defense on him was better than it had been.
One part of that is staying down on his pump fakes. I counted at least a handful of times where he faked on a player who stayed down and he passed out of it. Butler scored early on some fakes, and that's an easy way for him to get to the line, but the Celtics did a good job staying down.
Defending without fouling is very difficult to do against Butler, but Boston did it with plays like this.
Derrick White stayed vertical on this play and challenged the layup really well. This is some All-Defensive team stuff. Tatum is able to do the same later, challenging without trying to block the shot.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Boston’s defense held Miami to 107.4 points per 100 possessions. In Game 4 they held Miami to 104.4. The lowest offensive production for MiamI in the first three games was 116.8.
Miami had a 19.8% turnover rate and 8.5% free throw rate in Game 5, significantly worse than their playoff averages of a 13% turnover rate and 20.8% free throw rate. If you’re trying to figure out why Miami’s offensive rating was so bad, these numbers tell the whole story.
Boston forced a lot more turnovers and defended without fouling. The defense in their two wins has been phenomenal.
“Defensively we turned our pressure up,” Grant Williams said. “We've been better on that side of the ball, and that's really set us up for great offense. So we've continued guarding, that's got to be our number one priority and making sure these guys don't get anything easy, no easy looks, and then nothing easy for the shooters as well.”
When the Celtics defend this way, they are hard to beat. They forced all of Miami’s main offensive players into turnovers and their highest-usage guy, Adebayo, had more turnovers than anyone. Heading into Game 6, he’s aware of the hands slapping at the ball. If he’s worried about turnovers in this game, then Boston can force him to give the ball up while staying close enough to shooters to not give up open 3-pointers.
Defense travels, and the more the Celtics put pressure on Miami’s offense, the more the Heat look like the regular season team that struggled to score. If they're allowed to get comfortable early, they will get into rhythm and the season will be over. It’s up to the Celtics to come out tonight and continue to play the kind of defense that made them the second-best defensive team in the league this season.
