Step one: 10 takeaways from Celtics-Warmth Recreation 1

#1 Triple double Tatum

In his ninety fifth playoff sport, Jayson Tatum secured the primary triple-double of his postseason profession. He ended the sport with 23 factors, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on 38.9% capturing from the sphere.

What was most spectacular was that he didn’t let a troublesome capturing evening from the perimeter (12.5%) bitter his evening. As a substitute, Tatum discovered methods to influence the sport with out firing away relentlessly from deep.

Tatum’s passing stood out within the halfcourt. For all of his enhancements lately, it generally looks like we overlook Tatum’s court docket imaginative and prescient and passing capacity. The play under stood out to me for each of these causes.

Tatum’s capacity to identify house open up on the other facet of the ground whereas preventing over a number of defenders and displaying the persistence to permit a reduce to control the weakside protection is the kind of improvement that has positioned him in MVP conversations.

Not solely does he acknowledge the house in real-time, he’s making pin-point swing passes from one sideline to the opposite and making it look simple as he does it. The scary factor (for different groups) is that Tatum can play means higher than this. He’ll play means higher than this. His photographs will fall, he’ll take over for stretches, and he’ll dominate in his personal means. This was only a taster of what was to come back. This was after 10 days off.

#2 Porzingis, cheat code

The Miami Warmth are one of many higher perimeter-defending groups within the NBA. They permit you to shoot quite a lot of threes. They don’t permit you to make quite a lot of threes. Nonetheless, it felt like Kristaps Porzingis didn’t get that memo. His deep capturing and pick-and-pop sport cooked the Warmth’s defensive system on the perimeter. You noticed them regulate their pick-up factors as the sport went on, as they seemed to restrict the large man’s scoring capacity from past the arc.

The difficulty is, if you take away the three, Porzingis can slot into understanding of the put up or rolling to the rim after a screening motion. He is usually a decoy across the nail. He can stretch out the low helpline protection by being spaced within the nook. No matter you wish to do to restrict his effectiveness, he has a solution. That’s why he’s the OG Unicorn.

Lots goes to be mentioned about Porzingis’ scoring and rim safety over the following few days. Nonetheless, I wished to level out this possession, the place his roll to the rim compelled the Warmth to ship assist off the strongside nook, permitting Payton Pritchard to be large open to hit the catch-and-shoot three. Credit score to Jaylen Brown for making the learn. But, in reality, it was Porzingis’ roll gravity that blew up Miami’s protection.

In fact, it would not be proper if I didn’t share not less than one clip of Porzingis hitting a deep three off the catch. In fact, it got here by way of a ghost display screen that despatched two at White earlier than the ball discovered him above the perimeter.

Whereas we’re right here giving Porzingis his flowers, it’s price mentioning that his rim safety was again on show. His dimension, size and talent to slip his toes whereas staying in entrance of his man make him a troublesome opponent to beat across the rim. There’s a motive he ended the common season with a 43.2 DFG%.

#3 Lockdown protection

We noticed a number of defensive possessions just like the one above. Not all of them ended with the Celtics forcing a shot-clock turnover, however all of them ensured Miami discovered it troublesome to work for high quality photographs inside the stream of their offense.

Boston ended the sport with 24 trackable contests on protection; 19 of them got here on the inside, and 5 of them got here on the perimeter. There have been undoubtedly extra contested photographs than that, however these are those being proven by way of Hustle Stats on stats.NBA.com. The necessary factor is that it’s a notable distinction from Miami, who solely contested a complete of 15 photographs all through the sport.

Joe Mazzulla had his staff flitting between taking part in drop protection with 1-though-4 switching and specializing in a full change system. We additionally noticed some press and quite a lot of hole assistance on drives.

What I appreciated most was how keen the Celtics have been to leap out over screens and contest photographs. They ensured the Warmth felt their defensive depth from the bounce, and that allowed them to regulate the tempo of the sport.

#4 Zone, what zone?

Sure, Erik Spoelstra deployed some zone protection. No, it didn’t stifle the Celtics because it has performed previously. For a short stretch, it actually slowed the Celtics down towards the tip of the primary quarter. Miami seemed like they’d discovered a strategy to seize management of how the sport was flowing. Then, Boston started positioning Porzingis, Horford, Tatum or Brown across the nail and the zone shortly unraveled.

Whereas the shot within the above clip doesn’t finish in a bucket, it’s an ideal illustration of how the Celtics used somebody on the nail as a means of bending Miami’s zone earlier than discovering capturing alternative.

Spoelstra will undoubtedly have some extra zone schemes up his sleeve and can use the footage from Sunday’s sport to start cooking up some new concepts to decelerate the juggernaut that’s the Celtics. Nonetheless, as issues presently stand, the defensive system that has damage Boston lately seems moot…test ball, Miami.

#5 An 8-man rotation

All through the common season, there’s been a major quantity of debate surrounding how deep Mazzulla’s playoff rotation will go. We obtained our first glimpse of what to anticipate on Sunday. Horford, Pritchard and Sam Hauser have been the three gamers coming off the bench.

Whether or not that adjustments when Luke Kornet is again within the rotation will stay to be seen. Nonetheless, the trio proved to be impactful and match the model of play Mazzulla’s staff have been seeking to run on each side of the ground. I might count on the bench rotation to be fluid and depending on matchups. Nonetheless, Horford, Pritchard and Hauser do really feel like the first choices.

#6 Bench manufacturing

Sticking with the bench mob for a minute. Their manufacturing was key to the Celtics constructing a sizeable lead all through the primary three quarters. Most particularly, their 2nd quarter surge was a lift the staff wanted, particularly when it comes to the three-point barrage we noticed from Pritchard and Hauser.

Between Pritchard, Hauser and Horford, Boston’s bench supplied 30 factors, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. That’s what occurs when you may have three extremely dependable shooters coming off the bench. We additionally have to credit score the protection we noticed from Horford and Hauser. Whereas Pritchard’s offensive rebounding was much-needed and as impactful as at all times.

Talking of Hauser, I wished to level out this post-defense on Kevin Love early within the sport.

Hauser will get switched onto Love simply earlier than the post-entry go is made. He retains his foot above Love’s lead foot, limiting the veteran’s capacity to show the nook on him. He stays low, forcing the Warmth ahead to take three dribbles to get deep into the paint earlier than making a nasty go.

The defensive foot positioning of Hauser and his core power made life onerous for Love on this possession and highlighted the defensive depth Mazzulla has out there all through the roster.

#7 Drained legs

The Celtics held a 32 level lead going into the fourth quarter. A lackluster displaying within the first half of the ultimate 12 minutes noticed the Warmth shortly chip away on the scoreboard and drive Boston to dig deep and re-discover a aggressive spirit they’d doubtless bottled up prepared for sport two.

That’s the factor with Miami, they by no means say die. They’re going to scratch and claw on each play. Defeat isn’t of their vocabulary whereas there’s nonetheless time ticking on the clock.

Earlier than you knew it, the lead was down to fifteen, and you might really feel the momentum shifting away from the Celtics.

The slippage was undoubtedly a teachable second. And it was clear Horford was pissed off by his staff’s incapability to remain locked in and fired up with the sport seemingly within the bag. Nonetheless, being compelled to dig deep and “change it again on” will doubtless drive the Celtics to be extra cognizant of their effort ranges transferring ahead. That is the playoffs, you’ll be able to’t mail it in the way in which you probably did within the common season — no matter how deep or proficient you assume you’re.

#8 THAT Foul

It was a tough foul. It was a harmful foul. It wasn’t a grimy foul. A minimum of, I wouldn’t say it was deliberately soiled. Caleb Martin had momentum behind him. He hit Tatum whereas he was within the air. It seemed dangerous. Tatum was okay.

Fouls like which might be half and parcel of going through the Warmth within the playoffs. Particularly within the opening spherical when Spoelstra’s staff has no momentum behind them and is seeking to keep afloat with out two key gamers.

Nonetheless, I hope we don’t see too a lot of these performs as a result of one awkward fall like that may change the trajectory of a season.

#9 THAT Jaylen Brown play

I’m simply going to go away this right here. Not a lot to say. Simply wow. What a play. What a transfer. What a begin to a playoff collection. Extra of this. Fairly please.

#10 Working within the put up

As I wrote in Saturday’s scouting report, the Warmth wrestle to restrict shot makes an attempt in the midst of the ground, and so they wrestle to influence the effectivity of mid-range shooters. Due to this fact, it is smart to assault the Warmth the place they’re weakest — in or across the intestine.

So, it made sense that Boston’s counter to how Spoelstra had his staff taking part in protection was to work across the nail or within the put up. It made sense that Miami struggled to search out solutions and clearly most well-liked to restrict face-up drives or kick-outs to shooters across the perimeter.

What was most attention-grabbing to me, was that the Celtics didn’t have to run many screenings actions to get their greatest put up gamers into place. Because the collection wears on, I’m certain that may change. However for now, it was enjoyable seeing the Celtics exploit a weak point with no need to open up their playbook and provides the Warmth’s teaching workers additional footage to work with. We’ll see what sport two holds.

Wanting forward

Miami and Boston are again in motion on Wednesday. The Celtics will doubtless be specializing in not taking their foot off the fuel. That would imply some conditioning work. It could be extra of a psychological method. No matter it’s, that needs to be the largest lesson from this sport.

The Warmth, however, could have loads to consider and scheme towards. They may doubtless be with out Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier throughout sport two. A loss will put them below important stress within the coming weeks. The very last thing you wish to give to this Celtics staff is a scent of defeat as a result of that’s when the true canine in them will come out.

Catch you all later this week after we’re hopefully celebrating a second straight win.