Celtics (1-1) at Heat (1-1) Round 1 Game #3 4/27/24

[tenn_smoothie]

Not having seen the 1st half tonite (though I will eventually watch it), what changed ?
I'm sure our focus and intensity was much better - game 2 woke up the players' short attention spans for at least this game.
But schematically, did Joe pull his head out of his ass and stubbornly make a few adjustments, like pressuring the 3-point line on defense and moving the ball into the foul line area with the pass versus the zone on offense instead of the idiotic P&R 3-pointers from the perimeter.
(A junior high coach knows you don't attack a zone with ball screens and dribble penetrations).

[j804]

Not having seen the 1st half tonite (though I will eventually watch it), what changed ?
I'm sure our focus and intensity was much better - game 2 woke up the players' short attention spans for at least this game.
But schematically, did Joe pull his head out of his ass and stubbornly make a few adjustments, like pressuring the 3-point line on defense and moving the ball into the foul line area with the pass versus the zone on offense instead of the idiotic P&R 3-pointers from the perimeter.
(A junior high coach knows you don't attack a zone with ball screens and dribble penetrations).

Defense won the game. Getting over screens and when they couldn’t switching was about as good as it gets. Jrue while he didn’t score much was a middle linebacker with appropriate help and unlike last game the helper helped the helper. Perfect rotations. It was a masterclass on defense.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Like I said before the playoffs began...Celtics play Defense, Celtics Win....Oh and The Refs SUCKED....Bam gets to move his feet on every screen....and White got hit in the face like 3 times with no calls.

[JohnBoy65]

Can we admit yet that what the heat did in game 2 was historic? Also, late in their historic game we were still in it? I get it we played much more intensely defensively tonight, but can we not be all doom and gloom all the time?

[angryguy77]

Can we admit yet that what the heat did in game 2 was historic? Also, late in their historic game we were still in it? I get it we played much more intensely defensively tonight, but can we not be all doom and gloom all the time?

You allow any nba team to shoot open 3-s you're just begging for history to be made.

Game.3.shows game 2 never should have happened.

[SparzWizard]

For Miami-Boston it's literally "home court DISADVANTAGE" 

Boston is 6-2 AT Miami in playoff games since 2022, but Miami is 6-3 at TD Garden in same span.

yup it is nuts. makes us winning game 4 even more important. go up 3-1 and hope to close out at home albeit as you said we are not good at home against miami

This team is not just good in home court at all

2018 - Lost to Cavs on their homecourt
2019 - Lost all the home games against Bucks in a gentleman sweep.
2022 - Lost in the finals in their home court
2023 - Lost game 7 against the Heat

LOL!!  How many players on this team were on the 2018 and 2019 teams.

Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford.

[SparzWizard]

For Miami-Boston it's literally "home court DISADVANTAGE" 

Boston is 6-2 AT Miami in playoff games since 2022, but Miami is 6-3 at TD Garden in same span.

yup it is nuts. makes us winning game 4 even more important. go up 3-1 and hope to close out at home albeit as you said we are not good at home against miami

Yeah I think Game 5 is the most important one regardless. Like even if we win Game 4, if we lose Game 5 then things could get dicey as Miami has momentum going into Game 6 at home again. Obviously worst case is if we go back to Miami in Game 6 down 3-2.

One game at a time. But the C's really should just win the next two and end it in 5 games.

I did predict C's in 5.

But if these are the same 'ol Celtics that I've seen in the past...the C's may win Game 4 and then lose at home in Game 5. Then close them out at Miami in Game 6. Yes we'd win 3 straight at Miami again smh lol

[scaryjerry]

Can we admit yet that what the heat did in game 2 was historic? Also, late in their historic game we were still in it? I get it we played much more intensely defensively tonight, but can we not be all doom and gloom all the time?

Have you not heard the stat where they’ve had those historic performances against us multiple times in the playoffs the last few years?

[Birdman]

Celtics will win next 2, that game 2 was a fluke, Heat couldn’t miss anything

[ozgod]

Can we admit yet that what the heat did in game 2 was historic? Also, late in their historic game we were still in it? I get it we played much more intensely defensively tonight, but can we not be all doom and gloom all the time?

Have you not heard the stat where they’ve had those historic performances against us multiple times in the playoffs the last few years?

I believe he means historic in that only 5 teams have shot 23+ 3s in a playoff game in the history of the NBA, but yes it's wise to be concerned that the Heat will do it again. Or figure out a different historic stat to break 

[cman88]

Celtics shot poorly from 3 yet dominated the game because of their defense. That is a good sign and how they need to play.

If they play with the same defensive intensity and the 3s start to fall then we should win next 2 games.

[celticinorlando]

Boston is due for a good 3 point shooting game here soon. Games 2 and 3 they were way below their standards. That gives me some comfort heading into Game 4.

Defense was much better despite what Bam the Human Moving Screen said.

Cleveland v Orlando looking like a 7 game series.

It is about Boston. Boston vs themselves. Right mindset. Right effort and they win easily tomorrow. I wonder what Miami's next adjustment will be. The junk defenses have not worked. They have to shoot a massive clip from 3 to have any chance. Now what?

[Surferdad]

Boston is due for a good 3 point shooting game here soon. Games 2 and 3 they were way below their standards. That gives me some comfort heading into Game 4.

Defense was much better despite what Bam the Human Moving Screen said.

Cleveland v Orlando looking like a 7 game series.

It is about Boston. Boston vs themselves. Right mindset. Right effort and they win easily tomorrow. I wonder what Miami's next adjustment will be. The junk defenses have not worked. They have to shoot a massive clip from 3 to have any chance. Now what?

I could see Spo giving Patty Mills more minutes. At least he played some defense while he was out there. Also, Thomas Bryant was a complete disaster as a sub for Bam.

[President Red]

I don't have anything to add about the game itself, but as someone who was in the arena (for part of the game), I was shocked at how disinterested the "fans" were, particularly in the pricey seats.

I went from Orlando to Miami to meet a friend for Game 3.  We didn't have tickets because someone who looks a lot like me saw the ticket prices last Tuesday, and cleverly decided that seats for the Saturday game would become much cheaper once the Heat were down 2-0.

So, seats were crazy expensive, even once the game started, and even for bad seats.  My friend and I decided to wait outside until good seats became available for just "too much," as opposed to "an obscene amount."  It took until well into the second quarter before even two middle-aged lawyers could justify the outlay.

Finally, we gave in and got seats in the "South" zone, which is the VIP section that includes lounge access (which we cared nothing about).  We were center court just a few rows behind the table with the TNT commentators.

A lot of people were still coming into the arena during the second quarter -- perhaps in part because of the early start -- but the fancy-schmancy area was decently full when we got there.  The fans in Celtics gear were attentive to the game, but a large number of Heat "fans" were just chatting with each other and barely watching it.  By the beginning of the third quarter maybe half the people in that section were gone, perhaps to the lounge (which did not have a view of the game).  I think that the majority of those remaining were Celtics fans, even when the game was far from decided.

It's true that the asking prices for those seats were insane, and it may be that many of the occupants were just rich people there to be seen, or those provided playoff tickets as a non-Kendrick perq by companies that owned the season tickets.  Even the nosebleed seats would be too expensive for a lot of younger fans who might be more enthusiastic about the game.

I know really good tickets are extremely expensive in all arenas, and don't necessarily go to the best fans.  However, I've attended several Celtics games, including some that they lost, and I don't recall seeing people clear out like this.  This experience reinforces my perception that the Heat has a weak fanbase, at least as represented at the games.