Tag: 2023 Eastern Conference Finals

Miami Heat at Boston Celtics: How to watch, broadcast, lineups (Game 2)

Will the Celtics respond in Game 2, or does Jimmy Butler et al have Boston’s number?

The Boston Celtics collapsed defensively in the second half of Game 1 of their 2023 Eastern Conference finals series against the Miami Heat in a very familiar fashion to fans of the storied ball club. Will the Celtics respond in Game 2, or does Jimmy Butler et al have Boston’s number?

If you happen to be looking for a way to watch the on-court action live on cable television or a local or national online streaming service, keep reading while we get you up to speed on everything else you need to know about the game, including injuries, likely starters, and of course how to watch it.

Let’s begin with the players available to play.

Jayson Tatum collapses as Jimmy Butler dominates: What’s wrong with the Boston Celtics?

Boston labored to contain Butler and failed to make crucial adjustments during the match.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, star forward Jimmy Butler produced an exceptional outing, leading his team to an improbable win. With 35 points, 7 assists, and 6 steals in the victory, Butler showcased his incomparable skills and ability to step up in critical moments. The Celtics, on the other hand, labored to contain Butler and failed to make crucial adjustments during the match.

The lack of timeouts called by head coach Joe Mazzulla and missed chances to get star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum involved in the game in the fourth quarter raised questions about Mazzulla’s coaching decisions.

Despite the Celtics’ talent advantage, the Heat’s unflappable nature and cohesive gameplay abetted their dominance in the second half.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the hosts of the Volume “Jenkins and Jonez” podcast had to say about Boston’s Game 1 collapse.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Who deserves a slice of blame pie for the Boston Celtics’ Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat?

Where did the Celtics go astray in how they approached the game in this most critical of contests?

In Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics took on a familiar foe in the Miami Heat at TD Garden on Wednesday night. But after a horrendous third quarter of the game where they were outscored by 46-25, the Celtics were beaten by 123-116 to go down 0-1 in the series to date.

Where did the Celtics go astray in how they approached the game in this most critical of contests? Why do they keep performing poorly at home in the playoffs over and over again despite having claimed they have learned valuable lessons from past instances of subpar play in high-leverage games? Who is getting a slice of the blame pie for this avoidable loss?

Join the hosts fo the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast as Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon break down the Game 1 loss onsite at TD Garden.

The duo discusses the Celtics’ confounding performance and who is to blame for their poor showing in a contest they needed to win to feel secure about this series.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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‘Miami outplayed us from the tip,’ says Jaylen Brown of Celtics’ Game 1 loss

“We were up 10 and I guess we were a little bit comfortable,” he added.

Star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown weighed in on what went sideways in the Celtics’ Game 1 defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat in the first tilt of the 2023 East finals on Wednesday. Clashing with head coach Joe Mazzulla’s assessment that the team “did a great job” in the loss, the Georgia native was critical of his team’s effort.

“Miami outplayed us from the tip,” said Brown postgame of a contest that saw Boston’s defense come out flat in the game’s second half. “Especially in that third quarter. We lost the game in that third quarter but I don’t know — we’ve just got to keep playing this game.”

“I feel like they got it going (in the third quarter),” Brown continued. “We gave them some easy looks in transition, and physically, our intensity wasn’t where it needed to be.”

“We were up 10 and I guess we were a little bit comfortable,” suggested the Cal alum. “We were up 10 to start … to finish being down 10 going into the fourth quarter. That just can’t happen.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla claims Boston played harder in Game 1’s first half, but they lost the game in the second

‘We played harder than they did, and we did a great job,” said Mazzulla of the loss.

The Boston Celtics looked like a different team in the second half of their Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat in the East Finals on Wednesday, and the team that took the court for the final two quarters of the contest looked like a far cry from the focused and prepared ball club that took the floor in the first half of the game.

Asked about why the team seemed unprepared for the uptick in intensity that the Heat brought to bear in the second half, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla took a combative tone to the question. “We worked on that,” he explained. “We played harder than them in the first half, and they outplayed us for one quarter.”

“So, we were prepared for it,” he continued. “We had the right mindset heading into the game; we had the right mindset … we played harder than they did, and we did a great job.”

The Celtics, seemingly unbeknownst to Mazzulla, lost the game. If that is his definition of “a great job,” this team will great job its way to three more losses and a fair amount of eggs on faces within the Celtics organization.

Mazzulla’s distaste for timeouts may unfairly be cast as an excuse for the lack of intensity on defense Boston trotted out in one of the most important postseason games in a decade.

But if accountability is not left to wither on the vine with this team both internally and internally (seriously, stop fighting with people doing their job, Joe), there will be nothing left to be accountable for, at least during this golden opportunity to make a run on a title.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Did the Boston Celtics lose Game 1 vs. the Miami Heat because they did not call a timeout?

Is there any evidence such a move would have actually made a difference in the outcome of the game?

Fans of the Boston Celtics were understandably miffed by the lack of timeouts called by Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla during a massive second-half run by the Miami Heat in Miami’s Game 1 win over Boston, but is there any evidence such a move would have actually made a difference in the outcome of the game?

The hosts of the “TrueHoop” podcast David Thorpe and Jarod Hector recently convened to talk about the Celtics’ Game 1 loss and examine whether their failure to call a timeout played a crucial role. The decision not to halt the game’s momentum raised questions about the coaching strategies used by Mazzulla in the second half of the contest.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what the duo had to say about how the Celtics approached the latter half of Game 1 action.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics Lab 193: It’s groundhog day all over again as Boston drops Game 1 to the Heat

Have they still not learned their lesson, or is there something more here? And is head coach Joe Mazzulla being outcoached by Erik Spoelstra, or was this loss more on the players?

The first half of Game 1 of the NBA’s 2023 Eastern Conference Finals went exactly how fans of the Boston Celtics hoped it would, with the team defending and attacking with the sort of intensity needed to meet a determined opponent like the Miami Heat.

But in the second half of the tilt, the Celtics came out a little flat, and that was all the encouragement needed by Miami to punch Boston in the mouth, never looking back as they cruised to a 123-116 win. What went wrong? Why are the Celtics allowing themselves to be taken out of their game so easily? Have they still not learned their lesson, or is there something more here? And is head coach Joe Mazzulla being outcoached by Erik Spoelstra, or was this loss more on the players?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast took the pulse of the team at the podium to try and answer some of the above, as well as getting caught up on the NBA coaching carousel and other non-playoff news while we look ahead to Game 2 of the series.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by Fan Duel and Better Help.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jimmy Butler hangs 35 in the Garden, Celtics drop Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals 123-116

The Celtics “let go of the rope” as Miami rode a 46-25 third quarter to a Game 1 road victory in Boston.

The Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals 123-116 behind a disappointing defensive effort and an inconsistent night scoring the ball. Boston also dropped Game 1 of the previous round in similar fashion, where rhythm and poise were equally absent.

The Celtics simply never got into gear on defense on Wednesday night. Miami shot lights out from deep from start to finished, aided by slow and inadequate rotations from Boston defenders. In the third quarter things really spiraled out of control for the Celtics, who were outscored 46-25 in the period. As head coach Joe Mazzulla put it several times after the game, the team “just let go of the rope.”

As a team, the Heat shot 16-for-31 from deep for the game, providing an overpowering offensive boost. When paired with a crafty 35-point performance from Jimmy Butler, the Celtics simply didn’t have many answers on the defensive end.

Boston left a lot on the court in the loss, playing with much less mojo than usual. Here’s how things shook out in Boston’s 123-116 Game 1 loss against Miami Wednesday night.

PHOTOS – Miami at Boston: Celtics wilt in second half, fall to Heat 123-116 in Game 1

Let’s take a look at some of the best plays captured in images from the Celtics’ Game 1 vs. the Heat in the East Finals of the ’23 playoffs.

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are no strangers to meeting in the Eastern Conference Finals in recent years, and in the first game of their third such matchup in four seasons, the Celtics came out early with the right sort of energy and focus on both ends, but got knocked off kilter by a strong Heat start to the third quarter and never regained their composure.

Solid outings from Jayson Tatum (30 points, 7 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (22 points, 9 boards, 5 assists), Malcolm Brogdon (19 points), Marcus Smart (13 points, 11 assists), and Robert Williams III (14 points, 9 rebounds) were nearly enough. But, with the lack of focus and intensity that Boston brought to bear in the second half, a repeat performance against a team this disciplined might just be all it takes to send the Celtics fishing.

Let’s take a look at some of the best plays captured in images from the Celtics’ Game 1 vs. the Heat in the East Finals of the ’23 playoffs.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Miami’s Erik Spoelstra on Joe Mazzulla’s head coaching job: ‘His care-factor is through the roof’

Heat coach Erik Spoelestra offered strong praise for rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla ahead of Game 1 the 2023 Eastern Conference finals.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has enjoyed tremendous success in his first year as head coach in the NBA. He and the Celtics were one of the league’s top team’s all season long, and are a few wins away from another Finals appearance. Standing between Boston and a shot at a banner, sit a familiar foe, the Miami Heat.

The Celtics and Heat are now dueling in a third Eastern Conference finals showdown in four seasons. And though Boston is heavily favored in the series, it’s hard to count Miami out from the jump. They are savvy, tough as nails, and on quite the eight-seed is on a real Cinderella run. Throw in one of the Association’s most respected head coaches in Erik Spoelstra, and the Heat have more than a puncher’s chance.

Spoelstra famously worked his way up the ranks, serving as an assistant and video coordinator for the team before earning the role of head coach at the age of 38. Now one of the league’s top minds, Spoelstra is a massive asset for this Heat team’s chances in the 2023 postseason.

Ahead of Game 1 between Boston and Miami, Spoelstra was asked about Joe Mazzulla, what it’s like to be a young coach in the NBA, and more.