The Celtics are still alive! At the foot of the wall before this Game 4 at 3-0 for Miami, Boston was able to join forces to find its standards on both sides of the field and come out with a full match to give itself the right to find the TD Garden tomorrow evening.
Vaccinated by Game 3, the Celtics were expected at the turn by the Heat, who was quick to draw, placing a 14-3 initiated by Kevin Love and Gabe Vincent and concluded with a counter-attacking dunk from Max Strus to ignite the Kaseya Center (22-15). But this time, Boston didn’t break down. A 3-pointer from Jayson Tatum then a dunk from Robert Williams III allowed Joe Mazzulla’s troops to finish the first act at -6 (29-23).
It was then Al Horford, twice from a distance, who laid the foundations for a 17-5 to allow the C’s to go back in front, with the White-Tatum-Williams trio in charge (34-37). Miami was able to regain control, in particular through a Caleb Martin still on all fronts, in defense to force the passage of Jayson Tatum, and in attack to score three times in order to feed a 13- 6 before the break (56-50).
The Celtics sign an 18-0!
Still alive, Boston then felt its wings growing on returning from the locker room and finally knew how to combine defensive effort and offensive efficiency to pass a resounding 18-0, with Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart as gunners to swell the gap from the 3-point line (61-70). Jimmy Butler stepped up his intensity with three baskets and an assist, but the Celtics held on, relying on Marcus Smart and Grant Williams from afar but also a much fairer Jayson Tatum in attack ( 71-81).
The 9-point lead at the start of the last quarter was on the one hand huge given the scenario of the previous three games, and on the other hand tiny against this Heat capable of all exploits. The Floridians then went into “hunters” mode over the last 12 minutes, with a 2-3 zone that almost swayed Boston. Jayson Tatum then unblocked the situation at mid-distance before Jaylen Brown slammed a big dunk on the counter-attack following a counter by Derrick White on Duncan Robinson (83-92).
Grant Williams and Jayson Tatum added two more blocks, respectively on Jimmy Butler and Gabe Vincent, who twisted his ankle on the occasion, and Boston then knew how to play loose to come off for good, with the 3- points of the Smart-Tatum pair to line up a 12-0 (83-100). With confidence, the Celtics were able to complete the meeting without shaking to win 116-99. There will be a Game 5!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Boston’s defensive DNA found. With the symbol of this 18-0 marked by repeated interceptions which was the turning point of the match because it allowed the Celtics to gain confidence in attack and to reassure themselves of their defensive abilities. The whole group had pointed out this shortcoming at the end of Game 3. The players therefore rectified the situation as hoped in order to stay alive and push the series back to Game 5. Then there were these three successful counterattacks by Derrick White, Grant Williams and Jayson Tatum in the last act which confirmed the trend…
– No four in a row. It’s not every four mornings that Boston faces the possibility of losing four games in a row. In this case, it had not happened to the Celtics for more than two years! The C’s were therefore able to raise their level of play to avoid the sweep and leave victorious from Kaseya Center.
– Grant Williams Revenge. Favorite victim of Jimmy Butler in the two previous games, Grant Williams regained his splendor in this Game 4. In addition to delivering a full game in attack, the Celtics’ position 4 offered itself the luxury of countering Jimmy Butler in the last act to drive the point home while Boston was on a 12-0. Even mistreated, Grant Williams never gave up and ended up being rewarded.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jayson Tatum. A leader’s reaction to the height of his talent. Even in hot times, he was there to keep his team alive or revive it. Author of a stunning third quarter, he also put his team back on track against the area at the end.
✅ Grant Williams. His best game of these playoffs as he was precious and applied in attack while defending strongly, as when he countered Jimmy Butler, his sworn enemy since Game 2.
✅Derrick White. He too was present in the important moments and ended the game as one of the X factors of the evening, with scoring but also two interceptions and two blocks.
✅⛔ Jimmy Butler. A great second half, but he woke up a bit late, to the point that he waited until Miami was at +9 to react. A few fatigue errors at the end and a good game overall, even if the Heat star will regret his waste in shooting, especially near the circle.
✅⛔Caleb Martin. Not far from reproducing the same heroic match as in Game 3. A match started in a euphoric way, at 6/6 in shooting, to end with a little tension, like his team.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 5 in Boston this Thursday night to Friday (2:30 a.m.).
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
