#1 Jrue Vacation’s sizzling begin
Have a day, Jrue Vacation.
The veteran guard has been banged up for some time right here, however Vacation appears to be on the rise since returning towards the Lakers final week. Friday’s sport towards Miami was one in all Vacation’s better of the season as he racked up 25 factors within the win — a season excessive.
Vacation set the tone early for the Celtics as he drilled two early threes, and was additionally aggressive attending to the bucket as he tallied up 10 factors within the first body. He completed the primary half with 16 factors, and the primary purpose why Boston discovered themselves tied with the Warmth going into the break.
“He’ll do no matter it takes to win,” head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “Tonight, the ball discovered him early … he was aggressive, and he was capable of construct by means of that.”
It was clear Vacation was feeling himself as he pulled out a brand new “Dr. Evil” celebration after nailing one other triple within the second quarter.
Vacation completed his evening capturing 10/15, including in a steal and two blocks on the opposite finish.
The 2-time NBA champion discovering his groove once more offensively is a superb signal for Boston — even when he doesn’t present it each evening. Understanding that the Celtics have a man like Vacation who may make such a huge effect on each ends of the courtroom is what is going to make this workforce so laborious to beat within the postseason.
#2 Second quarter blues
After constructing a 14-point lead early on in South Seaside, Boston began to look a little bit sluggish, and its second quarter is one it’ll need to neglect fairly rapidly.
The Celtics’ offense stalled out, solely placing up 20 factors within the second body. In the meantime, Miami’s offense received going because of Andrew Wiggins.
A significant component within the lack of scoring was as soon as once more the three ball. Boston shot 4/15 from three, after hitting 6/13 within the first quarter. It could look like a small margin, however simply two much less made threes modified the outlook of the sport and let the Warmth again into it.
#3 Nonetheless struggling in non-Tatum minutes
One other massive a part of that second quarter wrestle was the non-Jayson Tatum minutes. After Tatum went the gap within the first, he sat for the primary half of the second — and you could possibly really feel it.
With out Tatum and Jaylen Brown to create some offense — and Derrick White’s sluggish begin — Boston’s offense felt caught within the mud.
White and Payton Pritchard had been a -7 and -6 respectively, and shot a mixed 2/11 from the sector. Particularly together with your prime guys not on the courtroom, the Celtics want these guys to steer the offense. Fortuitously, they made up for it afterward.
#4 Wiggins’ stable evening
Wiggins was stable all through Friday’s sport, and in addition to Tyler Herro, one of many solely guys on the Warmth who may produce offensively.
Whereas he was 9/21 from the sector, Wiggins nailed 3/8 triples, and was capable of rip 4 steals. Wiggins additionally did a stable job defending Tatum in stretches Friday — as he has a status of doing.
He was particularly efficient in that second quarter, scoring 10 of his 23 and capturing 4-5 from the sector.
#5 Ebbs and move of a 3rd quarter for Tatum
It was a story of two halves in Tatum’s third quarter.
Within the first 5 minutes of the quarter, Tatum was unfastened with the ball turning it over 3 times and lacking his lone shot. Whether or not it was a nasty entry cross to Horford down low or getting the ball poked unfastened by Dangerous Adebayo, Tatum didn’t look proper.
However after that third turnover he appeared to snap again to his regular self as he stepped into a 3 from 28 toes. Tatum completed the quarter with 10 factors on 4-5 capturing and forcing a turnover on the opposite finish.
Tatum silenced the group with a pull up triple to chop Boston’s deficit to 1 — his largest play after a pair of momentum performs from Miami as Wiggins buried a triple and Hero discovered Kel’el Ware for an alley oop to insert some vitality into the constructing.
On what appeared like a quiet evening for Tatum was simply the established order as he completed with 28 factors on 5-12 capturing from beyond-the-arc.
#6 White will get sizzling on South Seaside
White was struggling offensively Friday, capturing 3/11 from the sector and was 0/6 from deep. A uncommon sight for the guard. He was nonetheless making his presence felt on the opposite finish with stable protection down low towards Wiggins.
However because the fourth quarter got here round, so did offense and White ignited Boston’s offense. After struggling within the non-Tatum minutes within the second, White was a significant component in that not taking place within the fourth.
White pushed the Celtics right into a 10-0 run by nailing two deep triples and allotting a wonderful feed to a slicing Kornet to place Boston up seven.
It’s no shock that the very best clutch three-point shooter within the league turned it up within the closing minutes, and it was much more vital with no Tatum within the opening minutes
White finally completed with 12 factors within the quarter, capturing 4-7 and 3-5 from three.
#7 Closing time
By way of the primary three quarters it virtually felt like Boston was enjoying at half pace, however identical to any good workforce does, it turned it up late.
The Celtics’ defensive depth raised one other stage within the fourth as Miami was solely capable of muster up 14 factors. The Warmth shot simply 5-20 from the sector within the closing body.
#8 Six straight over Miami
Boston vs. Miami simply isn’t a rivalry anymore — it most likely hasn’t been for almost two years.
With Friday’s win the Celtics have gained six in a row and 13 out of 15 over Miami. In these six-straight wins, Boston has held Miami to 91 factors or much less in each matchup, profitable each sport by over double digits.
It’s clear that Warmth Tradition simply doesn’t imply the identical factor it used to and since Jimmy Butler determined he didn’t need to be there anymore, they haven’t been the identical.
Adebayo and Wiggins, whereas gifted, aren’t capable of be the No. 1 possibility on a workforce, and till they discover a new one, this matchup gained’t have the identical juice.
Erik Spoelstra is a wonderful NBA head coach, however even he can’t do a lot with the playing cards in his hand.
So till additional discover — this rivalry is lifeless.
#9 Postseason clinched
With the win over Miami and the Clippers win over Atlanta, the Celtics have formally clinched a spot within the playoffs. Not that it was a lot of a doubt at this level.
This 12 months will mark the Eleventh-consecutive season that Boston has reached the postseason, which is the longest lively streak within the league.
With the Celtics being fairly solidified in that No. 2 seed, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the workers manages the roster and enjoying time within the closing 15 video games. Anticipate to see a lineup just like tonight with totally different guys taking turns to relaxation as Boston comes down the house stretch.
#10 Again as much as Brooklyn
Celtics will now get again on the aircraft and head up the East Coast to play in Brooklyn Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The Nets are spiraling in the intervening time, dropping 9 out of their final 10 video games.
As regular, I’d count on Horford to be out on the second half of the back-to-back, and presumably Tatum and Vacation. Kristaps Porznigis touring with the workforce is one other optimistic signal of his return to play, however he’ll greater than seemingly undergo one other shootaround exercise to find out how shut he’s to returning.
