As the playoff picture began to come into focus amidst the uncertainty of the Play-In tournament, the Celtics had a strong hunch of who their opponent would be — and it was exactly who they were hoping for.
“When the Play-In game was on, and you’re trying to figure out the standings, I just had my mind made up completely that we were gonna play Miami,” Jayson Tatum said following Boston’s Game 5 victory .
“I wanted to play Miami in a sense that last year, playing against Atlanta, we might’ve relaxed a little bit. But knowing the history with Miami, and how hard they play and how well-coached they are that, for a first-round matchup, regardless of the seed, we were going to have to be ready to play and be ready to fight.”
Despite the Heat being significantly understaffed, with star Jimmy Butler, starting point guard Terry Rozier out for the entire series, and soon-to-be All-Rookie team selection Jaime Jaquez Jr. absent for Game 5, winning this series against this team in the fashion in which they did, was pretty sweet for the Celtics, particularly in light of the painful memories from 11 months ago.
“It feels great,” Jaylen Brown said after the closeout win. “We came out, we executed, we played well, and we advanced.”
Brown was also asked if closing out the series was a graduation from last year, to which he said: “A part of it. I think we still have tests to go through throughout this playoffs. Especially now, with KP being out. But I think we’re up to the challenge, and I’m excited about it.”
“We’re graduating; we haven’t graduated.”
Boston’s first-round series with the Heat felt like those mandatory state tests required for graduation — a test they passed with flying colors.
While the Celtics still have work to do to reach that podium and hoist the symbolic diploma that is the Larry O’Brien Trophy, this victory marked the first step.
The Celtics showcased their maturity by seizing the opportunity and burying their bullies. Save for the anomaly of Game 2 , they maintained a firm grip on the series, never affording Miami a chance. Boston became the first team in NBA postseason history to score over 100 points while conceding fewer than 90 points in three consecutive games.
Moreover, in their four victories in the series, the Celtics trailed for a mere 56 seconds, the second-shortest duration any winning team trailed in a single round over the past 25 postseasons.
“We’re not going to put this on the fact that we had some injuries. Let’s not take anything away from Boston. They’ve been the best team in basketball all season long. And in this series, in four of the games, they played as such,” Erik Spoelstra said after Boston’s closeout in Game 5.
“That had nothing to do with the injuries. Had nothing to do with guys that are available or not available. They played very good basketball – and they probably had something to motivate them even more against us. But they’ve played at a high level. I will not watch one minute of their games, but they’ll probably do this to several teams from here on out.”
In Game 5, the Celtics maintained their dominance by never trailing, marking their third wire-to-wire victory of the series. This ties them for the second-most wire-to-wire victories by any team in a series in the last 25 postseasons. In years past, the Celtics have fumbled opportunities to finish opponents, but that was not the case this time.
“Yes, and that’s how it should be,” Tatum said after the game, responding to whether closing out the series in five games showed maturity considering Boston’s past. “We should be learning from our mistakes and learning from things that we could have done better and applying it to the next season, which we are doing this year. Because we’re trying to have a different outcome from what we had last year.”
This series highlights the Celtics’ talent and maturity. At the beginning of the season, Joe Mazzulla emphasized the importance of building the team on humility, mindset, toughness, passion, and togetherness, and Boston certainly lived up to these standards in the first round —particularly showcasing their renewed emphasis on toughness, as they consistently outmatched Miami in the physicality department throughout the series.
“I think just being honest with ourselves, like what’s a team’s message and what’s their game plan to beat us? Pick up the pace, the pressure, be more physical, crash the glass, doing the intangibles. We know that, so why don’t we flip the script and be the tougher team? Why don’t we crash the glass more and pick up the pressure more while still being the talented team that we are,” Tatum said after the game.
“You can see how talented we are, and I think it’s lazy, or easy to say, that teams can ‘out-tough’ us. I’ve never understood that. Like, what’s the definition of tough? Having the louder guys on your team? Like that s— don’t make you tough. Everybody has their own definition of what toughness is. Playing the right way, showing up every day to do your job without complaining. I think that’s being tough.”
The Celtics understand that challenges will only intensify from here on out. Their key to success will be adhering to the principles that have guided them this far and continuing to demonstrate their maturity.
Most Popular
Comments / 0