MIAMI — Based on the truth that Marcus Smart spent most of Game 1 standing courtside on the finish of the Celtics bench regardless of a foot sprain, he wasn’t lengthy for the pine.
Al Horford walked out of COVID protocol and into FTX Arena with an identical expression to the one on his face after absorbing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Game 4 taunt within the final collection.
Both gamers had been about to vary the feel of the Eastern Conference Finals.
After main by as a lot as 29 factors within the second quarter and 34 within the fourth, and withstanding one other night time of Jimmy (29 factors) Butler, the Celtics simply pulled away with a 127-102 win over Miami for a 1-1 tie within the Eastern Conference Finals.
All Smart knew, whereas standing on the ground Tuesday night time, was that he was going to be prepared for Thursday.
“It was a very high hope that I could get back,” Smart stated of his way of thinking on Tuesday night time. “As long as my body kept responding the right way for me. And it did. I got to shootaround, tested it out, and it felt good. It felt good that day, as well, but better safe than sorry. I didn’t really get a chance to try it out that morning before that game, Game 1. We didn’t want to risk it, and it wasn’t feeling too well. I just kept telling myself, Game 2, you’re playing. I don’t care how hurt you are, you’ve got to give it a shot. We were very aggressive with treatment, two-a-days. I was in the pool doing pool workouts and just everything I could to speed this recovery up.”
Smart completed with a wild near-triple double line of 24 factors, 8-for-21 capturing, 5 3-pointers, 9 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals whereas Jayson Tatum (27 factors) was main an assault that featured 50% (20-for-40) 3-point capturing.
And after absorbing their Game 1 defeat – it reminded them of their Game 1 loss to Milwaukee within the final spherical – the Celtics stepped up, minus Derrick White, with their full lineup.
“I think we were upset with how that third quarter went and specifically how we got out-toughed,” Ime Udoka stated of shedding Tuesday night time’s third quarter by a 39-14 margin. “It wasn’t quite a lot of, like I stated, schemes or defensive or offensive modifications. They simply got here out and punked us that third quarter.
“We looked at the three quarters and how well we had done winning those quarters, and knew if we just matched their physicality we could be better,” stated the Celtics coach. “Kind of reminded us of Milwaukee the first game a little bit and didn’t want to get caught off guard again, but shouldn’t take one of those and the opportunity that we had, but I think our guys have bounced back really well all year, especially in the second half of the year. Haven’t lost a lot of two games in a row in a while, and I think obviously adding Marcus and Al back gave us a little boost as far as that. But guys have pride and looked at a golden opportunity that we kind of lost and thought we could do much better, and did that tonight.”
The Celtics gouged Miami with three runs — a 17-0 burst within the first quarter, adopted by stretches of 9-0 and 21-8 within the second — on the way in which to a 70-45 halftime lead. The 21-8 burst was good for a peak 29-point lead. In the third quarter the Celtics answered a 17-3 Miami run with a 12-2 burst of their very own, good for a 96-71 lead on the finish of the third. Butler, with a 16-point third, had thrown a haymaker, just for the Celtics to get better.
Overall the Celtics had been capturing a wild 15-for-29 (51.7%) from downtown. They completed the night time off within the fourth, triggered by two straight Brown rim finishes, with a 7-0 run that Smart boosted along with his fourth trey of the night time, and was good for a 30-point (103-73) lead.
But for Smart and Horford, Thursday night time was cathartic. Horford felt the necessity to get examined on Monday, after which needed to undergo the psychological torture of watching the ugliest third quarter of the season sink his group in Game 1.
Unlike Smart, who may at the very least stand on the finish of the bench, Horford was quarantined in his resort room.
“Oh man, that was hard,” stated Horford. “That was tough. That was tough to watch. Just not being there with the guys. You’ve got to give Miami credit; they were just really good, and they kind of took over in that quarter. It was tough. Anytime you want to be there for your guys, and it was hard, but I felt like we were able to learn from it and respond, and we did a good job of that tonight.”
Perhaps the most important stat to emerge from Smart’s massive night time was the one illustrating his potential to calm the group down – with 12 assists and just one turnover in 40 minutes. As somebody who has usually needed to persuade others of his level guard expertise, he may need to save Thursday night time’s video.
“A lot of pride. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole career. That’s what I got drafted here to do. I just waited my turn,” he stated. “I’m blessed to be within the scenario I’m to have the chance to exit and present what I can do, and I believe everyone within the group, on the planet is seeing what I can do at that time guard place.
“Just be who I am. Come out and be that leader, stay on top of my guys,” stated Smart. “It was a little bit tougher in Game 1 to do it because you weren’t out there, and as a player sometimes when you’re on the court and the guys who’s not on the court are trying to tell you, you just kind of really don’t want to hear it. You’re listening, but it’s tough. There’s a different type of energy and feel when I’m out there on the court able to bark out the commands, and really get into my guys and get them motivated because now it’s like, okay, if he’s going to go out there and do it, I don’t want to be the guy that’s slacking, so I’ve got to come with it. And that’s the beauty of having me on the court, to do that, to settle us down, to get us what we need to do and make plays for my teammates.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com