Boston Celtics

The Celtics embarrassed the Heat 127-102 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday at FTX Arena, and the Heat returned the favor in Game 3 on Saturday, defeating Boston 109-103 at TD Garden to take a 2-1 series lead. 

After the game, Heat big man Bam Adebayo told reporters that Boston's Game 2 victory sparked a fire in the team entering Game 3. 

"They beat us like we stole something in Game 2," Adebayo said. "That woke a fire up in all of us."

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka opted to leave most of his starters in Game 2, with Boston up a significant amount, until there was just minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra took most of his starters out far before then. 

Game 2 saw Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart finish with more than 20 points. Grant Williams also had 19 points in the win while Payton Pritchard had 10 off the bench. 

Saturday's Game 3 was a different story, with Miami jumping out to an early 39-18 lead in the first quarter. While the first quarter was the only one the Heat won, they were able to hold off the Celtics with some great defense. 

Miami forced Boston into 23 turnovers and also finished with four blocks and a franchise playoff record 19 steals. They did so without the help of Jimmy Butler, who didn't play the second half because of knee inflammation, and a somewhat limited Kyle Lowry, who was coming off a hamstring injury. 

In addition, the Miami defense limited Tatum to just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the floor and 1-of-7 shooting from deep. It was arguably Tatum's worst performance of the playoffs and worst since he finished with just 10 points in Game 3 of the team's second-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Adebayo also had his best game of the series on Saturday, finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four steals and one block in 42 minutes. He saw an uptick in playing time due to Butler's injury. 

Through the first two games of the series, Adebayo was averaging just eight points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and two blocks. His play will be key to Miami's success against Boston, and Spoelstra will need to continue to find ways to get the ball in his hands. 

The return of Lowry also proved to be incredibly valuable for the Heat as he finished with 11 points, one rebound, six assists and four steals in 29 minutes. 

Game 4 between the Heat and Celtics is set for Monday night at TD Garden. The Heat will look to extend their series lead 3-1 before heading back to Miami for Game 5. 

The Miami Heat have desperately needed more from Bam Adebayo in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. In Game 3, he finally provided it.

With Jimmy Butler forced out of action for the entire second half due to knee inflammation, Adebayo responded with 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in Miami's 109-103 win over the Celtics, giving the Heat a 2-1 advantage in the series.

Adebayo got his flowers on social media after the game, earning comparisons to NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who, of course, won a title in Boston:

Adebayo was superb—even if he has a long, long, long way to go before he's in the same conversation as KG—but he was only a part of the story on Saturday. Make no mistake about it: This was an absolutely wild 48 minutes of hoop. If you had to summarize this game in one word, it would be...wut.

• Miami led by as many as 26 points in the second quarter, but a late Celtics run cut it to a 15-point deficit. 
• Butler didn't return for the second half. 
• Both Marcus Smart (ankle) and Jayson Tatum (shoulder) left the game at different points in the second half after being on the court with injuries, literally writhing in pain, only to return minutes later to the absolute delight of the TD Garden crowd.
• The Celtics turned the ball over a whopping 24 times, leading to 33 Heat points. Miami, by contrast, only turned the ball over nine times, leading to nine Boston points. 
• Boston cut the deficit to just one with 2:40 remaining, only to allow the Heat to go on a 7-0 run in the next minute that iced it. 

It all spoiled a golden opportunity for the Celtics to win a crucial game at home with Butler sidelined and spoiled a topsy-turvy performance from Jaylen Brown that veered from sheer brilliance (40 points, nine rebounds) to head-scratching lapses in judgment (one assist, seven turnovers).

Meanwhile, Tatum struggled, managing only 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field.

This game truly was a beautiful mess, and it was only Game 3.

Thus far, the reprisal of the bubble's 2020 Eastern Conference Finals has sure been a lot of fun. Round 3 goes to Miami, courtesy of Bam.

The NBA announced Friday the members of the 2021-22 All-Defensive Teams, with some familiar faces and this season's Defensive Player of the Year headlining the First Team. 

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges make up this season's All-Defensive First Team. 

Meanwhile, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle and Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III make up the All-Defensive Second Team. 

Here's a look at the voting:

Smart's selection to the first team comes as no surprise after he was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the first time in his career. This also marks his third selection to an All-Defensive Team. 

The 28-year-old was one of the driving forces behind the Celtics' No. 1-ranked defense this season. He ranked seventh in the league with 1.7 steals per game, tied for six in total steals with 119 and had 19 games with at least three steals.

Smart also finished tied for fourth with 75 loose balls recovered, tied for 10th with 206 deflections and 16 charges drawn. In addition, he finished with 3.2 defensive rebounds per game, the most of his career. 

Jackson, meanwhile, helped the Grizzlies finish with the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA and the second-best record in the Western Conference. This marks the first All-Defensive Team selection of his career. 

The 22-year-old finished the season averaging 4.3 defensive rebounds and a career-high 2.3 blocks per game. In addition, he finished with 769 contested shots, 63 loose balls recovered, 335 total defensive rebounds, 177 total blocks and 73 steals. 

Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and this marks his sixth All-Defensive Team selection. He helped the Jazz finish with the 10th-best defensive rating in the league and was a big reason why Utah finished fifth in the Western Conference standings. 

The 29-year-old averaged 11 defensive rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. In addition, he finished with 862 contested shots, 727 total defensive rebounds, 137 total blocks, 87 deflections and 28 loose balls recovered. 

Antetokounmpo won DPoY in 2019-20 and this marks his fifth All-Defensive Team selection. He helped the Bucks finish with the 14th-best defensive rating in the NBA and was a big reason why the team finished third in the Eastern Conference. 

The 27-year-old averaged 9.6 defensive rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 2021-22. In addition, he finished with a total of 612 contested shots, 644 defensive rebounds, 72 steals, 91 blocks, 115 deflections and 64 loose balls recovered.

Bridges finished second in DPoY voting this season and this marks the first All-Defensive Team selection of his career. He helped the Suns finish with the third-best defensive rating in the NBA and the best record in the Western Conference. 

The 25-year-old averaged 3.3 defensive rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season. In addition, he finished with a total of 168 deflections, 483 contested shots, 273 defensive rebounds, 96 steals and 36 blocks. 

The Boston Celtics are a different team when Marcus Smart is on the floor.

If there was any doubt about that, the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals should probably put it to rest. After missing a Game 1 loss against the Miami Heat with a foot sprain, Smart returned to the lineup on Thursday with 24 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, five threes, three steals and a block. He was plus-31 in 40 minutes.

No other Celtics starter was better than plus-16 in a 127-102 rout that wasn't even that close.

The differences between Tuesday and Thursday's games were clear, and it was easy to trace several of them back to Smart.

For one, Boston was simply outworked in a 39-14 third quarter of Game 1. When it became clear Miami was bringing an effort level the Celtics couldn't (or wouldn't) match, the wheels fell off. Settling for jumpers, turnovers (Jayson Tatum had six in that frame alone), you name it. Boston lost the battles for physical and mental toughness.

"They just came out and kind of punked us in that third quarter," head coach Ime Udoka said.

Thursday, it was obvious in the second quarter that that wouldn't happen again.

"We just wanted to come in and be the harder playing team tonight," Smart told reporters after the game. "We said we were going to get the loose balls, cut the turnovers and let our defense do what we do."

All those boxes were completely filled. And Smart was often the one holding the metaphorical pencil. As he has been all season, Smart set a tone in Game 2, particularly with his on-ball defense and tenacity on switches.

For most teams, switching 1 through 5 would be asking for a disaster. For the Celtics, when healthy, it's what sets them apart from everyone.

Smart, Tatum and Jaylen Brown can hold up against just about anyone but the league's burliest 5s. Al Horford (who also returned after missing Game 1) and Robert Williams III are some of the game's best bigs at scrambling on the perimeter against guards and wings.

After Game 2, Udoka said, "We wanted to keep bodies in front of bodies," and that's exactly what they did. That's what they've done better than anyone since Jan. 1. Over that stretch, Boston's first-place defense (by points allowed per 100 possessions) had around the same distance between it and second as the distance between second and 11th.

While all five of the starters were an integral part of that success, these two games against Miami show that the Defensive Player of the Year may be the real key.

Tatum, Brown and Derrick White are stellar perimeter defenders (what a luxury it must be to have that many who can be described that way before you get to the DPOY), but Smart plays with that edge and relentlessness against stars that made careers for players like Tony Allen and Bruce Bowen.

Jimmy Butler had 41 points on 19 field-goal attempts in Game 1. Thursday, his total for free-throw attempts was cut by more than half and his points leveled off at 29. He was still good, but that's a manageable line. And though it took a team effort to get him there, Smart's one-on-one opportunities made Butler work as much as anyone's.

"I love going up against Jimmy any time I can," Smart said. "As a defensive player, as a competitor, he’s going to make you work, he’s going to make you better."

Smart has been taking matchups like this personally all season long, and the results loudly speak for themselves.

When Smart was on the floor in the regular season, the Celtics allowed 106.1 points per 100 possessions (a mark that ranked in the 92nd percentile) and outscored opponents by 9.7 points per 100 possessions. That point differential is around that of a 63-win team (it was around that of a 50-win team when he was off the floor).

In other words, the Celtics are really good without Smart. They play like a juggernaut with him.

And it's not entirely because of his defense.

No one's accused Smart of being a great shooter, but volume (he took 5.1 attempts per game this season) can often have the desired effect of accuracy. Just knowing he'll take the shot and make just enough forces defenses to pay attention to him outside. And in the games when he's on, as he was Thursday, Boston becomes exponentially more difficult to slow down.

Smart hit a game-high five threes (to go along with his game-high four deflections and three steals).

More importantly, his ball-handling and passing hide one of the very few flaws Tatum has. For all Boston's superstar can do, there are moments when his handle seems a little shaky. And reserving some of that responsibility for Smart frees up Tatum to do more attacking off catches.

Thursday, Smart's 12 assists had the internet buzzing.

"It feels great," Smart said of being able to play the 1 (after years of working alongside Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker). "That's who I am. The whole world is seeing what I can do at the point guard position."

And what he does, on both ends of the floor, may make the Celtics more than the Heat can handle.

As Jeff Van Gundy pointed out during ESPN's broadcast of Game 2, Boston is bigger, more athletic or both at almost every spot on the floor.

Just think about each matchup. Smart versus Gabe Vincent, the former has a 20-pound advantage. Brown is an inch taller and quicker laterally than Max Strus. I'm not going to argue Tatum has an edge over Butler in terms of toughness, but he is a bit taller and has a longer wingspan. P.J. Tucker is a bulldog, but he's much smaller than Horford. And finally, Williams can match Bam Adebayo's explosiveness, while Horford sort of provides the "playmaking big" qualities.

Miami is talented. When the Celtics are healthy, they're talented, big and can embrace most of today's philosophies. Switchability, particularly from Smart, Brown and Tatum, allows them to play positionless when necessary. Horford and Williams can bully opponents inside without compromising that.

Of course, this series is tied, 1-1. Another monster performance (or two) from Jimmy could alter our perspectives again. But right now, Boston's starting lineup (and really, first seven or eight guys) seems perfectly engineered for today's game.

From the front office to the coaching staff to the players, plenty of credit should be doled out for that. As it is, don't forget about Smart, the on-court conductor (as if performances like Thursday's would even make that possible).

The Miami Heat suffered a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on their home floor in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. After the game, Heat forward Jimmy Butler was blunt in his assessment.

"They tried to embarrass us," Butler told reporters. "They did embarrass us. … Overall, we just have to be better."

The Heat trailed by as many as 34 points in Thursday's 127-102 loss. Butler led Miami with 29 points, but no other player on the team had more than 14 points. As the leader of the team, Butler was unhappy with himself for not getting his teammates more involved. But he expressed optimism that he'll turn things around, saying, "I promise you, I will figure it out."

While Butler shouldering the responsibility is admirable, it's going to take a collective effort from the Heat if they hope to erase the issues from Game 2. Miami allowed Boston to shoot 51.2 percent from the field and connect on 20 of its 40 three-pointers.

The Celtics got huge performances from their stars, as Jayson Tatum had 27 points while Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24. Smart, who missed Game 1 with a mid-foot sprain, proved to be the spark plug Boston needed as he also finished with 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and a block.

Miami faced double-digit deficits early in both games of this series. With Saturday's Game 3 set to be played at the TD Garden in Boston, the Heat will have to avoid any early lapses to bounce back and earn a win on the road.

The Boston Celtics were balanced and efficient on offense in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. The Miami Heat, well...not so much. 

Jayson Tatum (27 points, five boards, five assists), Jaylen Brown (24 points, eight rebounds) and Marcus Smart (24 points, 12 assists, nine boards) were all excellent in the 127-102 blowout win.

But while Jimmy Butler did his thing, scoring 29 points, he didn't get much help from his teammates. And boy did his teammates hear about it on the socials after the contest:

Bam Adebayo attempted only six shots, finishing with six points and nine rebounds. Tyler Herro had 11 points but was 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. Victor Oladipo, who has occasionally served as a jolt of offense for these Heat in the playoffs, had 14 points, though a chunk of that came in garbage time and he shot just 2-of-8 from the field. 

So Butler's "others" didn't give him much help. 

Part of that, however, came down to the Celtics playing awesome basketball. With Smart and Horford back in the lineup after missing Game 1, Boston's defense was fantastic and the offense flowed. 

The Heat play hard on defense, are generally disciplined on offense and are an experienced and mentally tough team. Heat Culture has carried them this far. 

But it's almost impossible to win titles without multiple players who can consistently get you buckets. At least on Thursday night, the Heat had only one of those guys, and Boston punished them for it. 

The Boston Celtics announced Al Horford will return to the lineup for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

Horford missed the Celtics' 118-107 defeat in Game 1 on Tuesday after entering the NBA's health and safety protocols.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that the Celtics were "prepared for the likely scenario" of Horford missing Game 2 as well, but the team upgraded him to questionable earlier on Thursday. That led to optimism about his chances of clearing the protocols in time for Game 2's 8:30 p.m. ET tip.

Even with Horford back, Boston won't be at full strength on Thursday night. Derrick White will miss Game 2 to attend the birth of his child.

Horford averaged 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in the regular season, and he has been even better in the playoffs. Through 11 games, he's shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 13.0 points and 9.4 rebounds.

The Celtics outscored the Heat 48-40 in the paint and finished with only one fewer rebound (38) than Miami (39). They sorely missed Horford's veteran leadership while they unraveled in the third quarter, though.

The Boston Celtics were dealt another tough blow on Wednesday as they will be without veteran guard Derrick White for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. 

White has been ruled out for Game 2 because he's flying back to Boston for the birth of his first child. 

"You don't want to say it's a tough situation. We knew he was expecting a baby soon," Udoka told reporters. "Things happen in life and we always support our guys."

White played nearly 29 minutes in the Celtics' 118-107 Game 1 loss to the Heat. While he struggled in that outing, finishing with just three points, four assists and one block, the 27-year-old has been a key rotational piece for Boston this postseason. 

Through 12 playoff games, White is averaging 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He has mostly played off the bench for the Celtics, though he has started two games in the playoffs, including Game 1 against the Heat. 

Losing White certainly isn't ideal for the Celtics, who could potentially be without both Marcus Smart and Al Horford for Game 2. Smart is listed as probable with a right mid-foot sprain and Horford is listed as questionable, as he's in health and safety protocols.

Smart, the Defensive Player of the Year, has been one of Boston's most important players this season. With him sidelined in Game 1, the Celtics were outscored 39-14 in the third quarter as the Heat went on a 22-2 run after halftime. 

The 28-year-old has helped the Celtics hold things together this postseason, and it's hard to imagine the Heat would have gone on that third-quarter run with him in the lineup. In addition to averaging 15 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.1 steals in the playoffs, he has served as the team's unequivocal leader. 

Horford, meanwhile, has looked far from 35 years old this postseason, showing flashes of greatness. Through 11 playoff games, he's averaging 13 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks. 

That said, Robert Williams III and Daniel Theis played well during Horford's Game 1 absence. Williams finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and one assist, while Theis finished with eight points, four rebounds and two assists. 

With White sidelined, both Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith should see more minutes in Game 2. Pritchard has been a solid player off the bench this season, but Nesmith has seen limited minutes. 

Game 2 between the Celtics and Heat is set for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET at FTX Arena. 

The Boston Celtics will likely be getting some reinforcements for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. 

Veteran point guard Marcus Smart is targeting a return to Boston's lineup in Game 2 on Thursday, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The Defensive Player of the Year missed Game 1 with a right foot sprain.

However, the Celtics are not expecting big man Al Horford to clear health and safety protocols in time for Game 2. Sources told Haynes it's "highly unlikely" Horford will clear protocols in time to suit up Thursday.

The Celtics listed Smart as probable for Game 2 and Horford as doubtful.

With Smart and Horford sidelined, the Celtics lost 118-107 on Tuesday. After coming out of halftime with a 62-54 lead, Boston had a disastrous beginning to a third quarter in which Miami went on a 22-2 run and took a 93-76 lead into the final frame.

Smart and Horford have been a calming presence for the Celtics throughout the postseason, particularly in difficult moments when the team was being outworked. If the duo had been in the lineup for Game 1, it's possible they would have helped the team regroup in the third quarter.

That said, getting Smart back for Game 2 would be a huge boost for the Celtics, as he's the glue that holds the ship together. The 28-year-old is averaging 15.0 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals this postseason. 

In addition, Smart would likely get the assignment of guarding Jimmy Butler, who dropped 41 points in the series opener. The defensive stalwart would be able to handle Butler's physicality much better than any Celtic did Tuesday.

It's unfortunate for the Celtics that they will likely be without Horford for Game 2. The 35-year-old has been a menace defensively and on the glass, and is averaging 13.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks this postseason.

Robert Williams III and Daniel Theis were nevertheless solid in place of Horford in Game 1. Williams finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, while Theis finished with eight points, four rebounds and two assists. 

The bigger story for Boston was Jayson Tatum's seven turnovers and Jaylen Brown's 6-of-10 mark at the foul line. 

The Celtics need to bounce back Thursday night, or they'll face a 2-0 deficit heading home to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4 against the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.