Final: Celtics 104, Heat 84 - Defense fuels big bounceback win in Game 3

BOSTON CELTICS at MIAMI HEAT

Eastern Conference first round, Game 3

Kaseya Center, 6 p.m. - TNT/NBCS Boston

Line: Boston -9.5

INJURIES

Boston: Luke Kornet (calf, PROBABLE)

Miami: Jimmy Butler (knee, OUT), Terry Rozier (neck, OUT), Josh Richardson (shoulder, OUT), Delon Wright (Personal Reasons, QUESTIONABLE)

Series: 

Game 1: Celtics 114 - Heat 94 

The Celtics came out strong, scoring the first 14 points of the game, but Miami was able to answer and cut the lead to five by the break. The Celtics poured it on from 3 and got their lead to 18 before it settled at 15 at the half. The Celtics dominated the third quarter thanks to 10 each from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, and then they completely let up to start the fourth, watching a 34-point lead drop to 14 before they recovered to win by 20. 

Game 2: Heat 111 - Celtics 101

Miami came out firing, hitting 8-15 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a one-point lead. Brown dropped 15 in the second quarter, 11 of them in the final 1:55 to help Boston retake the lead at the half. Miami went on a huge run to start the third quarter and built a lead as high as 12 as the 3-pointers kept falling, but Boston was able to cut it to six heading into the final quarter. They didn’t make much progress after that, never getting the lead below five. 

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Defense: Boston’s defense was not great in Game 2. There were too many instances of guys getting lost, not giving second efforts, and just closing out too weakly to make a difference. 

If the Celtics don’t show the proper respect to Miami’s shooters, then they have the potential to shoot 50% again. If Boston doesn’t close out and they let Caleb freakin’ Martin get going again, then they deserve what they get. 

Newsflash, Celtics: Miami has to shoot the ball a lot to be able to beat you. They have to do this again, because playing the other way doesn’t work. 

“I think what surprised us was how freely they shot the ball and how well they shot the ball,” Kristaps Porzingins said. “We did expect them to shoot more, but everybody having a great night really gave them that freedom and comfort of just letting it fly, and any team is really dangerous, and we paid the price.”

Boston has to play up on the ball, make sure ball handler feels the pressure, and then get out to the shooters to challenge them. The Celtics had the second-best defense in the league, and it was pretty stifling in Game 1. They need to get that back. 

2. Don’t fall for Miami’s tricks: Miami has to junk it up and get creative. The Celtics have to make sure they're fully aware of what Miami is doing and then exploit it. 

“Any time a team is switching and more physicality, you have to fight to exploit those with more purpose and more physicality, and sometimes it takes a second or third layer,” Joe Mazzulla said. “So it’s just recognizing those second and third layers earlier so that we can get to it earlier in the shot clock.”

When Boston plays slow, they play worse. They are impossible to stop when they play uptempo and move the ball. They are a juggernaut when they make fast decisions and keep opponents on their toes. 

If someone has a mismatch they want to exploit, then go at it and do it with some force. If it doesn’t work, then move the ball and let the next guy try, because chances are everyone has a mismatch against this Miami team. 

Don’t fall for the tricks that slow the game down just because you have Tyler Herro in front of you. Attack him quickly and move it if Miami helps. 

3. Kristaps Porzingis bouncing back: Game 2 would have been much different if Porzingis was effective at all. This has to be a bounceback game for him or else it could be another tough one for Boston. 

One thing he has to be aware of is how the refs are no longer calling his sweep-through motion heading into his mid-range shot. After getting a lot of calls on that move earlier this year, the whistles have gone silent. 

“To be honest, I told the refs it’s almost my natural movement by this point already. I kind of go into my shot every time like that,” he said. “First game I feel like we did get some calls, second game not as much, so I feel like we have to go into this game not expecting any calls, any 50/50 calls, just playing through everything and making sure we’re in that mindset so when things don’t go our way we keep playing like it’s nothing. So I think that’s one adjustment we have to make.”

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.