Outcomes after Heat thrash Celtics in Game 1

Celtics dropped Game 1 for the second straight series, falling 118-107 to Heat in the Eastern Conference finals opener on Tuesday.

It’s difficult to perceive Tuesday’s setback as anything other than a missed opportunity.

Despite the absence of Marcus Smart (mid-foot sprain) and Al Horford (health and safety protocols), the Celtics jumped out to a large first-half advantage that grew to 13 points.

Then calamity struck in the second half.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown couldn’t stop throwing the ball over (Tatum had six turnovers in the third quarter alone), and the Heat humiliated the Celtics, going on a 20-2 run to erase the lead and render the Celtics’ 9-0 comeback ineffective.

Tatum finished with seven errors, and Brown couldn’t find a shooting rhythm until the fourth quarter when the game was already effectively over.

Celtics led the Heat in the first, second, and fourth quarters, but the Heat won the third quarter 39-14, putting the game out of reach.

“I believe we need to come out in the third with a little more urgency,” Tatum said.

“And that’s on us all. That is a decision we must make.”

To cap off an otherwise dismal evening, Celtics kept the game close enough in the fourth quarter to keep their best players in the game.

As a result, Tatum and Brown each played more than 40 minutes in a game the Celtics had no chance of winning.

Celtics are a tenacious group, as shown in the previous round. Celtics would have lost Game 1 in every series thus far if not for Tatum’s game-winning layup against the Nets.

They can take a punch and respond swiftly, which is important after such a humiliating setback.

It remains to be seen whether they can remain resilient if Horford and/or Smart remain on the bench.

Additional Outcomes

2. After the first half, Tatum appeared to have a comfortable lead over Butler in the superstar matchup, but Butler was dominant in the second half.
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He finished with 41 points on 12-for-19 shooting, including a 17-for-18 free throw shooting effort. Butler may have gotten superstar calls, but he pressed the issue by pushing into the paint, and even when he didn’t receive calls, he made shots.

Butler stated, “I enjoy physicality.”

“I want to collide with people and see who collapses first.” I’m curious to see who will give up first.”

If Smart is gone for the foreseeable future, Celtics will need a new strategy.

Heat hit Pritchard 16 times, and Butler, in particular, seemed almost angry that the Celtics’ switching defense thought Pritchard was a good matchup for him.

3. Robert Williams left the game in the fourth quarter clutching his knee, but Ime Udoka stated he was only cramping up in his first game back.

Williams had a great first half with 12 points, 5-for-5 shooting, and two blocks, but the Celtics failed to locate him in the second half.

With Williams in the game, Celtics could have a significant size advantage if their ball-handlers can get downhill.

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4. It’s important noting that once Horford was ruled out, the Celtics had to swiftly change their game strategy.

They were already figuring out how to beat the Heat without Smart, but Horford’s absence threw a kink in the works that they couldn’t overcome.

5. Gabe Vincent scored 17 points and drained three key 3-pointers against the Celtics, who are averaging 8.3 points per game in the playoffs.

Guarding the Heat differs from defending the Bucks in that bully-ball is physically demanding, but the Celtics must remain locked in against Miami’s guards.

6. If Tyler Herro hadn’t led the Heat on a 15-7 run to tie the game in the first quarter after the Celtics got off to a fast start, the Celtics might have created a big first-half lead of their own.

Celtics protected Herro admirably the rest of the way, which bodes well for Game 2.

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7. Aaron Nesmith came off the bench for the first time in playoff minutes and had a couple of fantastic defensive plays, but he blocked three more shots than he attempted (and he missed all of them).

Pritchard provided some floor spacing and 3-point shooting for Celtics, and he will likely remain in the rotation when Smart returns, despite being actively targeted by Heat.