Boston Celtics need to regain their momentum before it's too late
Miami Heat won the game-1 in second round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics on Sunday night. The main reason for Miami’s win was the exceptional performance by their shooting guard Dwyane Wade. To complement that, the
Heat were extra physical and their bench paced up just as the right time. Miami played the game very tactfully and for the most parts, it was the Celtics squad that lost its self-control. Boston seemed dull and out of ideas that night.
Just one year before, Boston had a similar struggle in the game-1 of their second round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when LeBron James and his previous franchise outshone the Celtics in the second half (58-39). The analysts
started criticizing the Celtics that time too, but the C’s came back in the series after getting a bad start. Now they are hoping to repeat the history once again. Given their heavy experience in the play-off game, the Celtics stand a good chance to make a
strong comeback in the Eastern Conference semi-final series.
To do so, they have to learn a few lessons from their first defeat and they need to do a lot of work in order to overcome their weaknesses.
In the game-1, Boston did a solid job to keep the Heat away from the paint which counts as a positive. Although he played very well, Dwyane Wade struggled to dominate in the paint and had relied mostly on his mid-range jumpers.
Where the C’s went wrong that night, was they did not prepare for those jumpers. They failed to contest Wade and did not assemble tight screens to baffle him. Boston has to improve in this area because a player of Wade’s calibre will continue to make merry
if he is allowed that much space.
The other major blip was the off-colour performance of their sensational point guard, Rajon Rondo. Rondo was completely hounded by Mike Bibby and on few instances by LeBron James. Rondo performance is the key factor for the Celtics.
If he fires, the C’s fire more often than not. After being reduced to eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the first game, Rondo needs to pick some pace.
Furthermore, Glen Davis also left much to be desired in game-1. The Celtics reserve just scored four points along with four rebounds in nearly 23 minutes. On the other hand, the Heat’s reserves, especially James Jones was on fire.
The Celtics’ bench shot just a meagre 34.8 percent from the field that night. If the Celtics plan to overcome the Heat in the next game, their reserve strength will be one facet, which they have to improve upon.
Boston’s stars can play also do with a little more self-control. Paul Pierce’s ejection in the fourth quarter could have been avoided.
Although the Heat don’t plan to cool off against the Celtics this series, there is no reason the C’s can’t beat the Heat if they play to their strengths. But, one thing is for sure, that if they don't bounce back quickly, the Heat
are going to make them swing to their beat.
Tags: