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Inside The Celtics

The Keys to Celtics Making History and Returning to NBA Finals

For the Celtics to keep their championship hopes alive, their defense must remain at the forefront of their identity.
Bobby Krivitsky|
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Celtics

Monday night, the Celtics can become the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-0 deficit.

Even better, Game 7 will take place at TD Garden. Playing at home hasn't gone as well as one would expect. Boston's 11-11 on its parquet the last two postseasons. But the venue also hosted Jayson Tatum's record-setting 51-point performance in the previous round's winner-take-all matchup against the Sixers to get to this stage.

Celtics fans shouldn't bank on that happening again. But they can draw confidence from not only rallying to win three-straight games but that before slowing the pace to their detriment, leading to a Heat comeback that required a Derrick White buzzer-beating put-back to save their season, Boston led by ten and had control of the contest with less than five minutes left despite what was unfolding in the battle beyond the arc.

In their 104-103 victory, the visitors shot 7/35 (20 percent) from three-point range. Conversely, Miami made 14/30 (46.7 percent) of its long-range looks.

Teams were 89-0 when they shot at least 45 percent from behind the arc, their opponent only converted on 25 percent or less of their threes, and both launched at least 30 attempts, as was the case Saturday night.

Furthermore, the Celtics committed 12 turnovers to the Heat's five. To lead the majority of the night and be ahead double-digits late in the game is as rare as it is encouraging for Monday's matchup.

That brings us to the first key to Boston punching its ticket back to the NBA Finals.

As this author's written about all season and the Celtics have been especially vocal about since going down 3-0, they're at their best when their defense is at the forefront of their identity.

When that's their backbone, missed shots, as was the case beyond the arc in Game 6, don't take from their focus, energy, and physicality defensively.

That translated to an outstanding job protecting the paint Saturday in South Beach, limiting the Heat to 32 points from in there.

Boston playing at the level necessary to hold the hosts to 35.5 percent shooting from the field made it easier for the visitors to play up-tempo. Doing so fueled an aggressive attack that generated 42 points in the paint and six more than Miami got from the free-throw line, essential to overcoming the latter's manufacturing 21 more from three-point range.

Look at the Celtics' shot chart from Game 6. Most of their attempts inside the paint were in or at the edge of the restricted area. That doesn't happen without their defense being the catalyst for creating higher-quality opportunities at the other end.

And while it didn't happen Saturday, playing with pace, running the floor, and creating as many transition chances as possible, lend themselves to finding and maintaining a rhythm offensively.

To counter that, the Heat aggressively crashed the offensive glass. They grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. And even though Boston limited the damage from that to 12 second-chance points, that approach detracts from players leaking out, the boards negate transition opportunities, and even when Miami didn't corral one of its misses, the congestion caused by sending bodies after its shots make for more traffic to navigate when trying to push the ball and play with tempo.

That'll be challenging to combat, but the Celtics can't let the Heat dictate the terms of play. Minimizing the impact of Miami crashing the glass starts with boxing out and limiting the visitors' second-chance opportunities.

From there, perhaps the hosts sprinkle in some screens to create easier outlet passes for whoever gets the rebound, igniting their transition attack.

Fortunately for Boston, increased familiarity has led to getting more comfortable against the Heat's zone defense. The Celtics know how to stretch the rubber band until it snaps and manipulate their way into open, in-rhythm shots even when the pace slows.

As a Syracuse alum, this author's all too familiar with where the 2-3 zone is most vulnerable: the free-throw line and the left and right hashes.

In the play below, when Grant Williams screens for Tatum, Miami sends two defenders at the latter. The former Tennessee Volunteer flares to the left wing, and with Marcus Smart stationed in the near-side corner, Caleb Martin's forced to stunt and then bump down. Duncan Robinson doesn't recover quickly enough, and Williams buries the open three.

Sometimes, consistently creating quality, in-rhythm threes doesn't translate to much success from beyond the arc. If those shots aren't falling for Boston on Monday, the hosts should lean into the value of the two.

Relying on them too heavily is ill-advised, but finding ways to score, even if it's from the mid-range, can get Tatum or Brown going and makes it easier to get set defensively and break out of being in a cycle where the opposition's scoring, the Celtics are missing threes, and that's fueling the other team's offense.

Defense has been Boston's calling card the last three games, and there's no reason to believe that will change. If it does, the hosts of Monday's matchup will either shoot their way to a win or enter an offseason filled with questions.

Getting stops fuels up-tempo offense, paramount to the Celtics' success, and lends itself to more effective ball movement and consistently creating quality, in-rhythm shots.

Combining that with a better job taking care of the rock after committing 12 turnovers on Saturday is how Boston gives itself its best chance of making history and returning to the NBA Finals.

Further Reading

Celtics Ready for Their Chance to Make History: 'I've Never Been So Excited to Go Back to Boston'

The Latest on Malcolm Brogdon's Status for Celtics-Heat Game 7

Jaylen Brown Reacts to Historic Run Against Miami Heat in Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics React to Derrick White's Game 6 Heroics: 'I'm Still in Disbelief'

Derrick White Discusses Season-Saving Buzzer Beater: 'Now It's on to Game 7'

Here's What Stood Out in Game 6 Win vs. Heat: Derrick White Saves Celtics Season as March Toward History Continues

The Celtics Could've Folded and Flamed Out, Instead, They're Inching Closer to History: 'We're Not Going Down Like This'

Here's What Stood Out in Game 5 Win vs. Heat: Celtics Reconnecting to Swing Series Momentum

Film Room: Grant Williams' Value on Full Display in Celtics' Game 4 Win vs. Heat

Celtics Stars Speak on Team Sticking Together Down 3-0: 'We Didn't Want That to Define Us'

Celtics Discuss Returning to Identity Best Suiting Them in Game 4 Win: 'We're a Team That Believes in Us No Matter What'

Jaylen Brown Responds to Rumors of Disconnect in Celtics Locker Room

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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