Tag: east finals

Draymond Green, Jaylen Brown agree: close-knit winners argue

While Draymond Green and Jaylen Brown might battle on the court, they agree about how winning teams comport themselves when the stakes are high.

Whatever happened in the locker room after the Boston Celtics’ loss to the Miami Heat, it didn’t seem to ruffle forward Jaylen Brown’s feathers — nor did he seem especially upset with the teammate who was reportedly doing much of the shouting after the loss, Marcus Smart.

If anything, he seemed closer to him than ever.

“He plays with passion, he’s full of fire — and that’s what I love about him most, to be honest,” explained Brown once the postgame brouhaha had calmed.

“He has that desire and that will. We need him to continue to have that. It’s ups and downs with families, all the time but we embrace each other for who we are, who Marcus is. I love him for it. So, we’ve got to get ready to come back taking the same fire and add it to Game 3.”

Perhaps the fight ought to be seen as a positive.

What might sound absurd was born out the reaction of the rest of the team, with Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and coach Brad Stevens all downplaying the exchange in the presser, and teammates like Enes Kanter doing the same on social media.

Another defensive night mare with a history of clashing with his team in high-passion moments weighed in on the spat, the Golden State Warrior’s Draymond Green.

Speaking on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Green offered his take on the varieties of infighting in the NBA.

“The reality is, I think, winning teams argue way more than losing teams,” he observed, “because losing teams, they bicker.”

“So, if I’m on a losing team, I’m going to come to you and say, ‘hey, man — [he] isn’t passing me the ball; he’s freezing me out’. And then you partner up with me, and now you and me are looking at [him] like he’s crazy. A winning team is going to say, ‘your body language was terrible in the first quarter,’ because that’s what I saw when I was watching the game.”

“Winning teams will always argue more than losing teams, and in fact, the media can love losing teams if they want, if they don’t want any arguing, and those teams will just lose and that’s that,” added Green.

There’s no doubt in any basketball mind worthy of consideration that the Celtics are a winning team after muscling their way through the first two rounds of the East Playoffs past some of the NBA’s top talent.

And there shouldn’t be much doubt that this team has the talent to get past Miami.

But Boston will need to put these feelings to bed to play with the unity needed to get the job done, and it sounds like that may have happened before the sun even rose on the argument.

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How to watch or stream Miami Heat-Boston Celtics East Finals Game 3

These are all the ways you can watch or stream Game 3 of the East Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.

The Boston Celtics hope to put the breaks on their two-game skid against the Miami Heat on Saturday, September 19th at 8:30 p.m. as they tip off for Game 3 of their East Finals series.

There’s a solid chance Boston’s Gordon Hayward returns, which could end up being a huge shot in the arm for a team that has struggled against the Heat’s length and zone defense.

The later-than-usual game can be watched in a number of ways; for those of us still in New England with cable carriers who have NBC Sports Boston, that channel will carry the game — as will ESPN nationally.

Their website, NBCSportsBoston.com and “MyTeams” app are also options for cord cutters.

If you don’t mind paying to watch, NBA League Pass, NBA TV; YouTube TV, Hulu + and FuboTV are subscription-based services you can use as well.

If none of these options work in a timeframe that gibes with your schedule, we’ll also have full game video highlights posted after the game.

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Previewing Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 3, Eastern Conference Finals

The Boston Celtics may get Gordon Hayward back in time for a critical Game 3 contest with the Miami Heat in their East Finals series.

The Boston Celtics face a critical Game 3 against the Miami Heat on Saturday, down two games to none in the Eastern Conference Finals.

While the games have been close, the final score has not captured the poise of the Heat in pushing past early big leads built — but not maintained — by the Celtics, who teeter near the precipice of the no-mans land of a 0-3 postseason deficit, unrecovered-from in the league’s seven-decade history to date.

There’s not likely any major tactical shifts coming from either team, as what the Heat have been doing with their length, zone defense, 3-point shooting and Jimmy Butler’s cutting has been especially effective.

And what has ailed Boston has not been tactics as much as focus.

The Heat return with the same cast healthy as in Game 2, while Boston will likely see wing Javonte Green return to the fold after a lengthy absence to repair a partially torn meniscus.

However, it is the recently-designated “Questionable” status and its outcome that could swing the game in favor of the Celtics; the Indiana native has been eyeing a Game 3 return, and it seems Hayward may be able to play.

If he can play well enough to impact the game — itself no minor issue — we would call the tilt in favor of Boston by a razor-thin margin.

For now however, we’ll pick against Boston for the first time in the postseason given the fallout of the postgame spat between Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown still casts a pall over Game 3.

With that in mind, we’ll call another close one, but in favor of the Heat this time, 99-97.

Most online sportsbooks tend to disagree however, granting Boston an average spread of -3.

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Game 4 of Celtics-Heat East Finals to be Sep. 23rd, 4 days after Game 3

Game 4 of the Miami Heat-Boston Celtics East Finals series will be four days after Game 3 on September 23rd, breaking up the usual two-day gaps.

The Boston Celtics will get an unexpected respite to regroup for Game 4 regardless of how their Game 3 against the Miami Heat goes on Monday, with the schedule for the fourth installment of their series with that team in the 2020 East Finals set to play on Wednesday, September 23rd.

The gap between Game 3 and 4 is twice as long as the usual two-day span adhered to throughout the postseason to this point due to the re-emergence of Monday Night Football, according to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.

And with ratings such a critical part of both the NBA and NFL’s revenue situation in this pandemic-inflected year, it makes sense to juggle the schedule a little bit if it means a better chance for more eyes on the product in the end.

For the Celtics — as Himmelsbach notes — it will also give a few more days for veteran forward Gordon Hayward’s ankle to heal up.

While he is hoping for a Game 3 return to action, Hayward’s sprain was severe enough to require more than a month off to rehabilitate, and any cushion that can be mustered to give the Indiana native more time to return is likely going to help.

After the unusual four-day gap, the remainder of the East Finals schedule returns to its two-day pattern.

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WATCH: Kemba Walker’s Celtics-Heat Game 3 East Finals highlights

Watch all of Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker’s highlights from Game 3 against the Miami Heat in their East FInals series.

It didn’t get the outcome we wanted in the long run, but Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker’s performance in the team’s 106 – 101 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their East Finals series went a long way towards dispelling concerns there might be something physically off with the former UConn standout.

Evidently less bothered by the zone Miami likes to use in the two team’s second postseason meeting, Walker scored 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting along with 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block over just 34 minutes of game time.

While it is unclear why the Celtics played Walker so few minutes — and the other starters as well — in such a critical game, they may have a key addition back for Game 3.

If Gordon Hayward is indeed able to return to play in the third installment of the series, it should even the playing field considerably.

Watch the video embedded above for all of the highlights of Walker’s play in the Game 2 loss to the Heat.

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WATCH: Boston Celtics – Miami Heat full East Finals Game 2 highlights

The Boston Celtics dropped Game 2 of their East Finals series with the Miami Heat 106-101; watch the full game highlights here.

The Boston Celtics fell even further behind the Miami Heat in their East Finals series, losing Game 2 to the Heat 106 – 101 after another late collapse.

Point guard Kemba Walker led all Celtics with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, while forward Jayson Tatum scored 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block.

Wing Jaylen Brown added 21 points of his own along with 6 boards, and point guard Marcus Smart 14 points and 4 assists. Reserve center Enes Kanter chipped in 9 points and 6 rebounds off of the bench.

Tensions flared in the locker room after the game, Smart clearly audible while shouting at unknown persons while clanging noises abounded.

The team regained its composure by the time the players spoke to the media, and will have a day off to regain the composure of their on-court play as well.

Watch the video embedded above to see what went wrong in Game 2.

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Heat take 2-game series lead as Boston chokes late, losing 106-101

The Boston Celtics fell into dangerous territory as they lost Game 2 to the Heat 106-101, Miami taking a two-game series lead.

The Boston Celtics began Game 2 trailing in a postseason series for the first time in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, having dropped Game 1 to the Miami Heat in overtime.

That was clearly not a status they wanted to continue with for long with Boston winning the tip and Kemba Walker drilling a 3 just seconds into the game.

The game stayed close early, the two teams trading buckets throughout most of the first quarter. Walker stuck another trey midway through the frame, which featured a rare substitution of Enes Kanter and Romeo Langford off the bench.

The Celtics started to pull away in the second quarter as Kanter and Tatum began to heat up, a Brad Wanamaker 3-pointer at the nine-minute Mark putting Boston up seven, and another extended the lead to 43-33.

Walker erupted for eight points in just two minutes to push the lead to 15, showing no signs of the difficulty he had in Game 1, while Jaylen Brown started to get on the board as well as the first half began to wind down.

Miami’s Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler scored in the half’s final minute to cut the lead to 13, sending the Celtics into the break carrying a 60-47 lead.

Boston began the third with Daniel Theis and Bam Adebayo trading makes, and a Marcus Smart layup would put the Celtics up 64-49 with just under 11 minutes to go in the frame. Dragic got hit in the face on a play soon after while he fouled Tatum, the Heat unsuccessfully challenging.

Boston called a timeout after Walker was inadvertently clipped by Smart on a screen, who was just shaken up a bit. Jae Crowder was fouled on a 3 by Brown to cut the lead to six, forcing another Boston timeout.

A pair of Adebayo Dunks cut the lead to one, and another make gave the Heat their first lead since early in the second. A Walker make stopped the bleeding, but a 3 from Kelly Olynyk and a layup by Dragic sent the Heat into the final frame up 84-77.

The final frame began with a quick timeout as Stevens successfully challenged a play that went out of bounds before Olynyk fouled Brown, who converted both. Crowder hit back immediately with a 3 to push the lead to 87-79, but Tatum erased most of it from the line a few plays later.

A layup by Brown with cut the lead to three, and a stepback trey from Walker cut it to 89-87 with just over seven minutes to go. Brown would tie it at 89 to force a Miami timeout with 5:30 to play, and a driving dunk from Tatum — sans an Adebayo block — gave the Celtics back the lead.

A Walker 3 gave Boston a cushion with four to play, but Miami came charging back to close the gap to one on a Butler dunk. A trip to the line and a trey from Dragic put the Heat up five with 1:30 to go, and a Crowder make pushed the lead to seven.

A pair of 3s from Brown kept the Celtics alive, but a third wasn’t in the making, Butler icing it from the line to take a two-game series lead with a 106-101 win.

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Boston’s Gordon Hayward downgraded to OUT for Game 2 vs Heat

Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward has been downgraded from “Doubtful” to “Out” for Game 2 against the Miami Heat.

The Boston Celtics have officially ruled out veteran forward Gordon Hayward for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference finals series against the Miami Heat, to little surprise.

Hayward, who has been sideline for a little over a month with a grade three ankle sprain, was recently upgraded from “Out” to “Doubtful” for Game 2 vs. Miami, but without much expectation of suiting up on Thursday night.

While the Indiana native has been drawing closer to a return to action against the Heat in recent days, all signs coming from the organization point to a return later on in the series.

Hayward’s scoring, ball handling and general boost to the team’s depth will be a welcome addition to the Celtics as they seek to advance to the NBA Finals past a dangerous Miami outfit, and his mid-range game especially so against the Heat’s tendency to use zone defense.

While he won’t be playing tonight, a Hayward return isn’t likely far off — but if Game 2 is anything like it’s precursor, that return won’t come soon enough.

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Previewing Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 2, Eastern Conference Finals

The Boston Celtics get a chance at revenge for Tuesday’s Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat in their East Finals Game 2, tipping off at 7 pm ET.

The Boston Celtics get their shot at Game 1 revenge against the Miami Heat tonight, with the second installment of their Eastern Conference Finals tipping off at 7 p.m. Eastern Time at the Disney bubble restart neutral site location at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Not much has changed since the Heat took the advantage in the series in Game 1 with a 117 – 114 overtime win, though something might soon.

The Celtics upgraded veteran forward Gordon Hayward to “Doubtful” for Game 1 as the Butler product nears a return from a Grade III ankle sprain, and will be a big addition to the team once he’s back in the fold.

As the designation suggests, it’s unlikely we’ll see Hayward suit up for Game 2, but Game 3 or 4 is not out of the question, the latter more likely.

He joins Javonte Green (knee) as doubtful for Boston, Chris Silva (pelvis) the only player listed for Miami as out.

Both teams more or less played the game they wanted to on Tuesday, the Heat executing better in the winning effort, so we won’t likely see any major strategic shifts from either coach to start.

We expect another close game with a fair amount of offense, Boston eking out a 110-106 win to even the series with better execution.

Most online bookmakers tend to agree, granting the Celtics a -2.5 line.

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PHOTOS: Boston Celtics player salaries for 2019-20, future seasons

 

How to watch or stream Miami Heat-Boston East Finals Celtics Game 2

These are all the ways you can watch or stream Game 2 of the Boston Celtics’ series against the Miami Heat in the East Finals on Thursday.

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics play Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals series this Thursday, September 17th at 7pm Eastern Time with the Celtics finding themselves in an entirely novel situation in the 2020 NBA postseason…

Trailing.

Having lost Game 1 117 – 114 in overtime after big man Bam Adebayo somehow managed to block All-NBA swingman Jayson Tatum’s would-be game-winning dunk at the end of regulation, Boston now has to play the series from behind.

While there’s still a solid path to advancement, that path became more fraught with the loss, and it’ll take a solid 48 from every player playing for the Celtics to get a win against this surgically-precise Heat team.

If you aren’t sure how to watch Game 2, we have some suggestions that could help.

Local fans can catch the game on NBC Boston, NBCBostonSports.com and their “MyTeams” app, and it will be broadcast nationally by ESPN as well.

For cord cutters who don’t mind paying to watch the game, there’s also NBA TV, NBA League Pass, FuboTV, YouTube TV and Hulu +.

And if the game happens to be on at a time none of these options work for you, we’ll have the full game highlights posted after the game so you can get caught up on all the key moments without any of the commercial breaks and dead ball moments.

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PHOTOS: Boston Celtics player salaries for 2019-20, future seasons