Tag: east finals

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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‘He makes us better’ : Boston Celtics ‘really missed’ Gordon Hayward

Veteran forward Gordon Hayward’s Celtics teammates were very happy to have him back in the fold for Game 3 of their East Finals series with the Miami Heat.

Gordon Hayward’s Boston Celtics teammates were not shy about sharing how much they missed him after Saturday’s Game 3 win against the Miami Heat.

While his stat line wasn’t exactly eye-popping at 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block, his imprint on the game was still unmistakable, perhaps even instrumental in preventing the Celtics from falling into a likely insurmountable 0-3 hole in their East Finals series.

“Gordon was great,” praised teammate Jaylen Brown. “[A] welcome back for Gordon.”

What does the Butler product provide that had been missing in his absence?

“Just having an extra body and other guy that can make plays was huge for us,” offered Brown.

“He had some big plays during this game and he’s only going to continue to go up. I think that just being together, and being locked in and not relaxing, not taking a break because as soon as you turn your head or you relax, those guys are flying off shooting threes so you got to be locked in the whole time to find ways to win.”

Head coach Brad Stevens revealed he had not anticipated playing Hayward 31 minutes, but events outside of his control forced the issue.

“I didn’t expect to play him that much,” explained Stevens, “but it was [Marcus] Smart, in some foul trouble at the end of the third [quarter and] Theis foul trouble [that made it necessary].”

“I thought [Hayward] looked pretty good. And we have four days off, so that’s why I didn’t say [to come out of the game]; we’re just going to monitor him to see how he looks. he asked to come out a couple times. The wind caught up to him a couple times I thought he did what he’s done all year; he didn’t shoot it quite as much. But he is a stabilizing force for our team. He just can make the right play and make a play for somebody else at the right time and he hit the big three as they were making a run.”

“He makes us better, that’s for sure,” added the Celtics coach.

Fellow All-Star alumnus Jayson Tatum couldn’t agree more strongly, perhaps taking a swipe at a former Celtic’s opinion on Hayward’s fit with the team longer-term in the process.

“It meant everything, obviously; we played a while without him,” observed Tatum. “And I’ve stated before, it’s crazy for anybody to think we’re better without him.”

“We’re so much better when he’s out there; so much more dynamic, so much more versatile when he’s out there. So it felt great to have our full team back; he played great in his first game. He’s going to continue to get better, to get his feel back, so to have him back, man — it was everything.”

The general sentiment was echoed by All-Star point guard Kemba Walker.

The UConn product has struggled in the absence of his former NCAA foe, and Walker’s game was an immediate beneficiary of Hayward’s return in terms of both scoring volume and accuracy.

“It’s always good when you have one of your best players back,” suggested Walker. “He’s someone that we need. He came in with his feel for the game, it’s just something that we’ve missed. He was great. He made great plays down the stretch — he was really, really good.”

“It changes a lot, because he’s able to guard a lot of different guys, which helps us whenever we switch,” noted the New Yorker.

“He’s big for us on both ends of the floor. Like I said — and I can’t say it enough — we really missed him. Physically, we missed his voice, his presence.”

It’s pretty hard to argue otherwise, even if you only look at the final score.

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WATCH: Jayson Tatum’s Miami Heat-Boston Celtics full Game 3 highlights

Watch all of All-NBA swingman Jayson Tatum’s best plays from the 117-106 Game 3 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday night in this video.

Boston Celtics All-NBA small forward Jayson Tatum had himself an outstanding game against the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their East Conference Finals series on Saturday night.

The Duke product scored 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists while going 5-of-5 from the free throw line in 41 minutes of game time in the must-win contest, Tatum helping to fuel the Celtics’ return to the win column.

That it came after a highly-publicized (and probably overblown) post-game brouhaha following the Celtics’ hard-fought Game 2 loss is even more impressive.

Tatum will have a little while to recover with a few extra days longer than usual to recover courtesy of Monday Night Football, and Boston will need every player fresh and rested to have a good shot at a Game 4 win.

But if you want to see some Celtics basketball in the meantime, or just want to relive his best play from Game 3, watch the video embedded above for all of Tatum’s best plays from Saturday night’s contest.

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Gordon Hayward: ‘it’s probably best if I stay here and help our team’

Boston Celtics veteran wing Gordon Hayward shed a little more light on his and his wife Robyn’s decision for him to remain in the bubble for the birth of their next child.

Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward’s stat line in his return might not have been eye-popping, but it isn’t clear the Celtics would have one a critical Game 3 against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals without him.

So, that was likely some of the thinking behind he and his wife Robyn’s decision for the Celtics forward to remain in the Disney restart bubble, but there were other important factors at play the Butler product revealed after Boston’s 117-106 win.

“I think that that obviously wasn’t in the plan, getting injured, [and] going back to Indianapolis for treatment,” explained Hayward to a surprised press.

“I trust those guys with everything back there, and so I think [it was] a little bit lucky that Robyn was there already in Indy so I got a chance to get home and get great treatment. But, that wasn’t in the plan, and when Robyn could be having a baby at any point in time. So, I think it’s probably something that I’ll be here.”

“And by the time I get back I might miss the birth — she just goes in and rushes into the hospital so, we discussed and we prayed about it and I think it’s probably best if I stay here and help our team,” he added, just to confirm the surprising shift in plans.

With the difficulties of timing the birth an issue of its own compounded to how important this likely is to Hayward, the intensely personal calculus of such an important decision is more than defensible.

But so would it be had he simply decided to stay out of the bubble to recover and be present for an irreplaceable moment in the life of a parent, as well.

Hopefully, the monumental sacrifice the Haywards are making for the team is reflected by the intensity and togetherness of his teammates play throughout the rest of their stay in the bubble.

If Saturday was any indication, it’s already begun.

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WATCH: Jaylen Brown’s Miami Heat-Boston Celtics full Game 3 highlights

Watch all of Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown’s full Game 3 highlights against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

While he might be only 23 years old, Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown is a leader on his team held in high regard — and for good reason.

Willing to do whatever it takes to come away with the win, whether that means taking on a major role or fading into the background while someone else goes off — as well as an occasional peacemaker — the Cal-Berkeley product has proven himself a leader of men.

And in Saturday’s crucial Game 3 win over the Miami Heat in their East Finals series, Brown’s 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block is one of Brown’s best performances of his career.

The Celtic are lucky to have a player like Brown on their roster — and not just for the production he provides on the court.

Watch the video embedded above for all of the Georgia native’s best moments from his Game 3 win; we’ve got some time between now and Game 4 on Wednesday, September 23rd.

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On this day: legendary Boston Celtics coach, GM Red Auerbach born

WATCH: Boston Celtics-Miami Heat East Conference Game 3 full highlights

Watch all of the Boston Celtics best plays from their 117-106 Game 3 win over the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference Finals series in this video.

The Boston Celtics found themselves again with a return of veteran forward Gordon Hayward, setting the Eastern Conference Finals series at 1-2 with their 117 – 106 win over the Miami Heat after falling in a 0-2 hole.

Forward Jaylen Brown led all Celtics with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block on 11-of-15 shooting, All-NBA swingman Jayson Tatum wasn’t far behind him with 25 points, 14 boards and 8 assists, and All-Star point guard Kemba Walker put up 21 points and 6 rebounds on 50% shooting from deep and overall.

Veteran guard Marcus Smart added 20 points and 6 assists on 5-of-10 shooting, and Hayward added 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block in his return to carry the Celtics to the win.

The Game 3 victory kept Boston’s title aspirations alive just one game after a locker room spat made many worry the Celtics might be at their breaking point.

Watch the video embedded above to see all of the best moments from Boston’s big win over the Heat on Saturday night.

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Celtics survive furious Heat comeback in Hayward’s return, win 117-106

The Boston Celtics bounced back in a big way with Gordon Hayward’s return sparking a 117-106 win to bring the East Finals series vs. the Heat to 2-1.

The Boston Celtics finally got veteran forward Gordon Hayward back in the fold for a must-win Game 3 meeting with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and almost from the tip you could see an improvement.

Boston didn’t win the tip, but they did strike first, Marcus Smart getting the old-school 3-point play. Bam Adebayo answered back with a quick flush, but Jaylen Brown scored in response as both teams traded blows early.

The Cal-Berkeley product in particular was aggressive in attacking the cup, and an early 3 from Kemba Walker gave Boston a 12-7 lead with 8:30 in the quarter.

The Heat hung around early, but Boston held onto their lead with another Enes Kanter sighting and some good play from Hayward in his first minutes back. A trey from Tatum to close out the half put the Celtics up 31-22.

A trip to the line for Brad Wanamaker got the second frame started, but back-to-back 3s from Tyler Herro cut the lead back down to nine. Another trey from Derrick Jones Jr. saw Miami trailing by just six.

Herro stayed hot, hitting a jumper to set the score at 40-36 while drawing a technical foul from Tatum. A block from Brown on Dragic created a fast-break dunk from Tatum that sent Jae Crowder flying, and a 3 from Brown on the next possession forced a Heat timeout.

An Adebayo dunk out of the break kept the Heat from losing control, and a Butler make at the four-minute mark cut the lead to as many points. The Celtics went centerless as the half wound down, leading to nine straight points from Boston, the score going into the break 62-50.

The penultimate frame began with a 3 from Crowder, but a Brown dunk would give the Celtics a 14-point lead, their largest. A trey from Grant Williams would push it to 15, and a trip to the stripe for Brown to 18.

Boston kept attacking the paint, and the Heat continued to struggle to find an answer, the fouls starting to mount. Miami kept at it, a Dragic jumper cutting the Celtics’ lead to 82-69.

A Herro layup cut it further to nine with a minute to go in the quarter, but Walker answered back on the other end. A Kendrick Nunn foul on a Tatum breakaway dunk pushed the lead back to 16, the Celtics heading into the final frame up 89-74.

Gordon Hayward nailed a 3 to open the fourth quarter, and a deep Tatum stepback pushed the lead to 95-76. The Butler product would be successfully challenged on a blocking call a few plays later by Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.

A Brown make with six minutes to go gave the Celtics ta 19-point lead, and a Walker layup soon after would force a Miami timeout with just under five minutes to play. The Heat cut it to 12 with a Robinson trey at the four-minute mark, but a trey from Walker kept the pressure on.

Boston used the clock late to hang onto their lead with an 11-point lead in the final two minutes, and a Robinson 3 cut the lead to eight. An offensive foul by Brown was upgraded to a flagrant 1 however, sending the Heat to the line to shoot two.

A quick Adebayo make would cut the lead to five, but Smart got right back to the line, converting both. Miami couldn’t find any magic to close out this game however, falling to Boston 117-106 as the series moved to 2-1 Miami.

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WATCH: Gordon Hayward putting up shots before Celtics-Heat Game 3

After missing more than a month to a sprained ankle, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is back on the court putting up shots.

It’s been a solid month since veteran Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward was on the floor playing with his team, so it’s probably not the worst idea for him to get in as many shots ahead of his return to action as he can.

Set to return to the court after missing more than a month with a Grade III ankle sprain, the Indiana native will likely play tonight against the Miami Heat in their East Finals Game 3 showdown.

The Celtics have had issues with Miami’s length, zone and composure — even losing some of their own after a hard-fought Game 2 loss — so Hayward’s return ought to be a big help in at least some of those areas.

If you want to check out the Butler’s products form after so much time off, or just want to get yourself into the right mood for some Celtics basketball, watch the clip embedded above to see Hayward putting up shots ahead of the game.

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‘He’ll warm up and we’ll see;’ says Stevens of Hayward playing vs Heat

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens says Gordon Hayward has the final call over whether he’ll play in Game 3 vs. the Miami Heat.

It’s not certain until he gives his personal go-ahead, but it sounds very much like Gordon Hayward will be suiting up for his first game in over a month — and after the Boston Celtics having dropped two straight games to their East Finals opponent, it couldn’t happen at a better moment.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens confirmed the plan was to prepare as if he were playing, with the Butler product having the final call based on how he’s feeling.

The Celtics coach was guardedly optimistic about what Hayward can bring to the game, even in his first game back from such a long absence.

“He’s a great passer, can score the ball, he can switch all the different positions,” explained Stevens, “so, it gives us a lot of defensive flexibility there.”

“He just gives us a lot. And I think that he’s always been a guy that provides a great sense of stability … he’s coming back from a four week break, four-and-a-half week break so we don’t expect him to be a world beater, but I think his presence helps us.”

And while no line in the sand has been designated, it seems Hayward will be closely monitored to ensure he doesn’t over-stress the ankle in its first game back.

The Indiana native will come off the bench — presuming he feels up to playing — and will be under a “minutes monitoring” regime, though Stevens did not offer much in the way of details on what that entails.

With a little luck, it entails a Game 3 win if nothing else — and perhaps a new light on this series for Boston with it.

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Is Grant Williams at center the answer for Boston to beat the Heat?

Should the Boston Celtics consider playing Grant Williams as their center more in their East Finals series against the Miami Heat? At least one analyst thinks so.

Should the Boston Celtics embrace their “small ball” side, and roll with rookie forward Grant Williams as their center?

The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks thinks so, and he’s made a compelling argument as to why that should be the case in a new article.

Noting how Boston “struggled to contain the combination of the pick-and-roll between Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo and the off-ball movement from the Heat’s shooters,” Tjarks believes the Celtics would be better-suited to the flexibility smaller lineups could present against Miami.

Noting Williams’ plus-9 performance as the highest among Celtics in Game 2, Tjarks zooms in on the Tennessee product because of his ability to “switch screens and defend all over the floor while also being able to find the open man and make passes through the zone.”

The Ringer analyst hedges a bit by suggesting such a move ought to be tried only if Hayward cannot play, but there’s an argument for Williams to play heavy minutes early regardless, if only to help keep starting center Daniel Theis out of the foul trouble that’s muzzled him late in games.

If nothing else, the Celtics do indeed have options to how they respond, and against a highly-adaptive team like the Heat, that might just be the most important tool they have.

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