“Don’t let us get one” and “don’t let us win tonight” were quotes from Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown before last night’s game four in Miami. Unfortunately for the Heat, they let the Celtics get one, possibly giving Boston a spark for a four-game streak to win the series. It’s important to note that no team has ever came back from a 3-0 deficit in the history of the NBA, so the Celts would have to pull off a miracle to make it happen. For now, they trail 3-1 as we head back to Boston for game five tomorrow night.
GAME FOUR BY THE NUMBERS
A key number leading to this Celtics victory was 45. Boston shot more three pointers in last night’s game than they have in any other game in the series, totaling 45 attempts. On those 45 attempts, the C’s made 40% of their shots, making it the first time in the past four games that Boston had a better three point percentage than Miami. The Heat’s 25% three point percentage is over 20% below their average from the three games prior, which came out to a mind boggling 46.8%. So, as much as this win can be credited to the Celtics’ improvements, equal credit should be given to the Heat’s role players who finally came back down to earth.
Speaking on those role players and their performances beyond the arc, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Caleb Martin shot a combined 4-14 (28.6%) from three, which is far below their past numbers from the series of 27-57 (47.4%).
Jayson Tatum’s 33 point performance made him the only player on the Celtics to put up more than 20 points, and the only player in the game to drop more than 30. Jimmy Butler finished with a cool 29, and he showed his human side by missing two free throws in 12 attempts. Across the board, nobody had a truly special night, but Grant Williams should be praised for his efforts off the bench. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, 2 assists, one block, and one steal in 29 minutes. His sole block, which was on Jimmy Butler, was the defensive play of the night.
Al Horford finally started to be himself from beyond the arc, ending the night going 3-6. Big Al’s counterpart, Robert Williams, had the least stellar night of any Celtic. He was the only player to have a negative point differential and only recorded one rebound in 21 minutes.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE CELTICS
After listening to Boston sports radio and scrolling through twitter all day, I think that people are riding too high on the Celts after just one win. As I mentioned earlier, the Celtics didn’t play outstanding basketball by any standard last night. They played well, but the Heat also played by far their worst game of the series. In order for me to be fully on board the comeback train, I need to see a resounding and convincing team effort in tomorrow night’s game. I need Jaylen to play his first solid game of the series, Tatum control the pace offensively, and everybody to lock down on defense. Last game was our best defensive game yet, we just have to build on it and be better in the next.
In a final note, I pose this question: Why is Jayson Tatum not playing the entirety of the fourth quarter? He sat out the first few minutes of the fourth, and the Heat immediately went on a run. With how good Miami is at closing out games, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t play the whole final quarter. I’m no basketball expert, but I have a feeling that having your best player on the court when it matters most might be a good idea.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!