Tag: 2023 NBA Playoffs

The best of Jayson Tatum with the Boston Celtics in the 2023 NBA playoffs

Jayson Tatum might not have had his season end the way he had hoped, but he still had a postseason worth looking back on.

Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum might not have had his season end the way he had hoped: The Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals. He still managed to showcase his exceptional offensive skills during the 2023 postseason

The St. Louis native put up 27.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while turning the ball over 2.8 times and fouling 2.2 times per contest. Averaging 40 minutes per game in the playoffs, Tatum shot 45.8% from the field overall, an out-of-character 32.3% from beyond the arc, and 87.6% from the free-throw line.

To see the best of the former Duke standout’s play in the 2023 NBA playoffs, check out the clip embedded below created by fan videographer Tomasz Kordylewski.

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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Were Jaylen Brown’s dribbling issues vs. the Miami Heat the result of an injury?

The Celtics star reverted back to a sloppier-handled version of himself in the East finals — but why?

Star forward Jaylen Brown’s dribbling with the Boston Celtics has long been a topic of discussion, but the subject exploded back to relevance after his eight turnovers in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat.

While he has shown some improvement with the tightness of his handle in  recent years, he still struggles with complex dribble attacks and breaking through traps set by opposing clubs — at least, without turning the ball over in critical moments. It was recently speculated that his performance was affected by a left wrist injury sustained earlier in the postseason, although it was not openly acknowledged by the Georgia native or the Celtics.

The hosts of the Athletic “NBA Show” podcast did their best to divine whether an injury could be the root cause of Brown’s sudden regression as a ballhandler.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about it.

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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Why are the Boston Celtics so bad at scoring on a zone defense?

Is the fault with the players, the coaching staff, or a mixture of the two?

Why are the Boston Celtics so bad at scoring on a zone defense?

The Miami Heat’s effective use of zone defense led to their victory over the Celtics in the 2023 NBA playoffs despite Boston being far and away the more talented team on paper. But games are not played on paper, and in the real world, the Celtics struggled to attack the zone and lacked urgency in their offensive plays.

The Heat’s defensive rotations and pressure caused problems for the Celtics. Boston’s inside ball screens and player positioning were ineffective against the Heat’s defense. The Celtics failed to exploit weaknesses in the zone and lacked a cohesive offensive strategy. The coaching staff was unable to adjust and find successful ways to attack the zone throughout the series.

Is the fault with the players, the coaching staff or a mix of the two?

The folks behind the B-Ball Breakdown YouTube channel did their best to answer that question in a recent video.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their conclusions!

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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Nate Robinson thinks the Celtics have something missing to fix

‘They didn’t win the championship, this Celtics group,’ shared Robinson.

After the Boston Celtics‘ loss to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, former Boston star Nate Robinson believes the current Celtics have had their reputation tarnished. However, Nate Rob left the door open to the Celtics righting the ship.

In an interview with Sporting Posts’ Ben Mendelowitz, the Seattle native opened up about the Boston team of today compared to the all-time great Celtics squads of the past.

“They didn’t win the championship, this Celtics group — and the reason is because they didn’t have ‘it’ — whatever Celtics had back in the day with Larry Bird, they had ‘it’,” suggested Robinson.

“They didn’t have it, they didn’t have players taking quality shots,” he added. “They have a group of talented guys but they have something missing.”

Boston’s front office will try to address whatever that missing element might be in the NBA’s 2023 offseason. But with a new collective bargaining agreement to contend with, the Celtics will have their work cut out for them.

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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Reacting to the Boston Celtics’ 103-84 blowout in Game 7 of the East finals vs. the Miami Heat

After miraculously walking down a 3-0 series deficit to tie things up 3-3, the Boston Celtics ultimately collapsed under pressure.

After miraculously walking down a 3-0 series deficit to tie things up 3-3, the Boston Celtics ultimately collapsed under pressure in Game 7 to the Miami Heat, losing the critical contest to the Heat 103-84 and leaving many important questions unanswered heading into an uncertain offseason.

With star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum getting injured on the first play of the game, the St. Louis native played through a nasty ankle sprain and left Boston wing Jaylen Brown to step up and carry the scoring load. What ended up happening, however, was a horrid performance from Brown, shooting 1-9 from beyond the arc and wracking up 8 turnovers as the number one option.

It also raised further concerns about his future with the Celtics ahead of a potential Supermax extension.

Join the hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon as they discuss a lackluster Game 7 performance from the Celtics.

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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‘We let the whole city down’: Jaylen Brown on Boston’s Game 7 loss to the Heat

‘Just a terrible game when my team needed me most,’ said the Cal alum.

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown didn’t sugar-coat it after the Celtics lost Game 7 of the 2023 East finals to the Miami Heat on Monday night.

“We failed. I failed. We let the whole city down,” Brown said after Boston fell short in their attempt erase a 3-0 series deficit. “Just a terrible game when my team needed me most.”

That star teammate Jayson Tatum severely turned his ankle on the first play of the game was not lost on the Georgia native despite his admitted shortcomings in filling the void left by Tatum’s diminished ability on the court.

“JT hurt his ankle first play of the game, and you could see it swelling up on him,” Brown said. “He couldn’t move out there. It was tough on him. My team turned to me to make plays, and I came up short.”

But it was not just Brown who fumbled perhaps the most important game of his career to that point. Only Derrick White and Tatum joined him in double figures, and no one provided consistent defensive play throughout.

“Offensively, it just seemed like we couldn’t hit a shot,” he added on a night Boston produced one of its least efficient nights beyond the arc of the season. “We had a bunch of good looks and nothing went in. We all have to sit back and reflect on that,” said Brown.

Now, they will have an uncomfortable amount of time to do so.

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 praises former coach Buzz Williams as Miami Heat reach NBA Finals

On the heels of becoming the just the second 8-seed to reach the NBA Finals, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler took a moment to acknowledge the impact from his former college coach, Buzz Williams.

Even when on the precipice of playing for an NBA championship, Jimmy Butler continues to remember those that helped pave the way for his success, and he recently gave recognition to one of his early coaches on the hardwood.

On the heels of eliminating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat star spoke with NBA on TNT’s Ernie Johnson in the postgame.

Amid Butler’s continuous praise for his teammates, Johnson was sure to ask about the impact that Butler’s old coach, Buzz Williams, had on the NBA star during his collegiate playing days. The Heat star’s response illustrated how the practices instilled in him by Williams have carried over into his NBA career:

[Johnson]: “Your old college coach Buzz Williams…he and I were swapping texts, and I asked him about coaching you and what made you special at that point. He said it was an uncanny basketball IQ, and it was never being satisfied. You just referred to that too. How does that translate to an NBA Finals appearance against the Denver Nuggets?” 

[Butler]: “I mean, more than anything, I think Buzz taught me to rely and trust my teammates with everything. I do the same thing here with Spo….”

Williams, who currently helms Texas A&M‘s basketball program, coached Jimmy Butler from 2008-2011 at Marquette.

In their three seasons together, Butler averaged 12.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG on 50.8 percent shooting from the field. The Golden Eagles reached the NCAA Tournament every year during the Williams-Butler era, with their farthest run coming in the 2010-11 season as they advanced to the Sweet 16.

As the Heat become just the second No. 8-seed to reach the NBA Finals, it’s clear that their feat was off the back of a team effort, which Butler consistently emphasizes. At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the grit and high IQ on display from the Heat’s bonafide leader, making Butler a de-facto disciple of the Buzz Williams coaching tree.

The fact that Butler not only carries those Buzz Williams traits with him at the NBA level but also instills them in his teammates is a fundamental reason why the Heat are on the precipice of making history.

Remember that Miami enters as clear underdogs in the NBA Finals versus the Nuggets. But that hurdle hasn’t limited this team before, so why would it now? So long as Butler continues to rely upon and trust in his teammates, as Buzz Williams taught him, this Heat team is capable of besting any team that stands in front of them.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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PHOTOS-Miami at Boston: Celtics’ luck runs out; they fall 103-84 to Heat

From the first play of the game, it was clear fortune did not favor the Celtics in Game 7.

The Boston Celtics took the floor of TD Garden to play the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Playoffs on the precipice of history. They had tied up the series after losing the first three contests of the third round.

When the final buzzer sounded, however, the effect of Jayson Tatum (14 points, 11 rebounds) spraining his ankle on the very first play of the game meant the Celtics’ run of luck came to an end. Miami won, 103-84, to advance to face the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Apart from a hobbled Tatum, only Jaylen Brown (19 points, 8 boards, 5 assists) and Derrick White (18 points) scored in double figures. No other players stepped up to help fill the gaps created by an unsatisfactory effort on both ends by the supporting cast with questionable decisions in terms of defensive coverages.

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in Game 7 of the East finals between the Heat and Celtics.

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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Business left unfinished: Three thoughts on Boston’s 103-84 Game 7 loss

The Celtics shot 9-for-42 from deep and coughed up 15 turnovers in Game 7 as Boston unraveled with the season on the line.

The Boston Celtics offseason officially began after a Game 7 loss Monday night at TD Garden. Battling back from an 3-0 series deficit was an admirable effort, but Boston’s Eastern Conference finals comeback ultimately fell short with a 103-84 loss to the Miami Heat.

The business of bringing home an 18th banner remains unfinished for the Celtics.

Poor defense and worse shooting doomed Boston from the jump, and the Celtics could neither buy a basket nor consistently slow the Heat. Jimmy Butler led the way for Miami, logging 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. On the other side, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 33 points on a 2-for-13 performance from deep and 39% shooting overall. It was a perfect storm in all the wrong ways for the Celtics.

Evening the series was a major feat in and of itself. Boston is one of only four teams to ever force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in a series in NBA history. Still, the loss ushers in an offseason period that could bring significant change for the Celtics. For now, here’s your game recap for Boston’s 103-84 Game 7 loss.

Boston is on the verge of being the first team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit – but will they?

What will Game 7 be like back in Boston? Tonight, we find out.

Three straight Jimmy Butler free throws put the Boston Celtics on the verge of a heartbreaking ending to their incredible East finals series comeback against the Miami Heat.

They had as many seconds (three) left to keep their season alive. With their final play, veteran guard Marcus Smart launched a quick 3-point shot that rattled in and out of the rim.

Positioned perfectly, guard Derrick White tipped the ball back up with .2 seconds on the clock and it dropped for the bucket as time expired, stealing a win in Miami to force a Game 7 back home in Boston.

Join the hosts of the CLNS Media “Vitamin Cs” podcast Tim Sheils and Wayne “Breezie” Brown as they discuss and react to an INSANE finish in Game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, and what Game 7 could be like back in Boston in the video embedded below.

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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