Celtics see extended break as time to rest, study; ‘the game starts now’

The Boston Celtics see the extended break in their East Finals series with the Miami Heat as an opportunity to rest up and study their opponent.

Time off in the midst of a tough playoff series can be a momentum killer as much as it can be a welcome respite for tired legs — and for the most locked-in teams, it can hardly even register.

The Boston Celtics seem to fit the mold of the latter, its players relating that if anything, it’s a welcome chance to regroup and study the “enemy” — in this case the Miami Heat squad they are down two games to one against in the Eastern Conference Finals.

With the usual one day on, one day off schedule teams have been operating on during the Disney bubble restart thrown for a loop because of a schedule conflict with Monday night football, the Heat and the Celtics find themselves off until Wednesday, September 23rd.

Asked if he felt the break would be a hindrance or a help after the team’s critical Game 3 win, Boston star forward Jaylen Brown explained he didn’t feel it was either.

“I don’t think so, basketball is basketball,” said Brown.

“It’s always good to get some rest, I think it’d be good for us coming off a tough series versus Toronto as well. I’m looking forward to the next game. I think we all are, so we’ve got to keep our minds locked in and engaged. The game doesn’t start on Wednesday. The game starts now.”

“So, getting ready and getting prepared for the next one is just as important,” he added.

Teammate Marcus Smart was asked a similar question regarding how he felt about the extended break.

“It really depends on how you look at it,” philosophized Smart.

“For us, it’s a blessing right now. We got Gordon Hayward back, dealing with injury. We’ve got a lot of guys banged up, so it just really gives us an opportunity for our bodies to just relax and rejuvenate and get ready for a grinding game and to try and even the series.”

“With us, we’re the team that’s down 2-1,” he added. “That’s something that we have to live [with].”

 

“That’s something that’s eating at us, the next couple of days until Wednesday. There’s just more motivation and fuel to get ready for Game 4 to really keep the momentum alive,” offered Smart.

“We’ve seen it before with us in the Toronto series. We go up to closing our Game 3, [and] they hit a shot to to … win the game and send a series 2-1. In the next game, we came out and blew them out. I’m not saying this is going to happen, but it definitely gave us that extra fuel that we had to it with, and the longer that we have to sit here, knowing that we’re down 1-2, it’s just more fuel to the fire.”

“We know we got to come out winning Game 4,” he added.

Rookie forward Grant Williams — getting considerable burn in a playoff series after his rock-solid performances against Toronto and now Miami — largely agreed with Smart and Brown.

“Well, I think it’s just how you view it,” he opined when asked about the break. “If you approach it as a blessing, then that’s how we’ll be moving forward.”

“It’s good to get these days off and be able to recoup and understand what we did in the past three games, as well as prepare for this next one, moving forward. Now they are probably going to make a bunch of adjustments with the time that we have, and we’ll do the same. And like I said, they’re a tough team — they’re a team that will continue to fight and claw their way in any game, no matter who they’re playing.”

“So us just being prepared to not only take that punch in them but also throw a blow back ourselves [is critical],” added Williams.

Boston has a chance to shift the narrative of the series with good rest, good research, and a good response built off of the two.

The Heat are no juggernaut, just a team that is well-coached, conditioned, and very, very talented.

Things this Celtics team has in spades as well — and then some.

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