Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 1 Loss: Heat's Third-Quarter Haymaker Propels Them to 1-0 Lead
The third quarter of Game 7 against the Sixers was the Celtics' best period this season. But this group's consistently looked less sharp coming out of halftime.
On Wednesday night at TD Garden, it cost them the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Boston entered the second half with a 66-57 advantage, thanks to relentlessly attacking downhill, slicing through the Heat's defense, and producing 40 points in the paint to the visitors' 16.
Miami's slow offensive operation also made it easier to get stops, helping the hosts play with pace.
But in the second half, the Heat, as they tend to do, flipped the switch, making the necessary adjustments and playing with more physicality and greater focus.
With the Celtics doing the opposite, the Heat outscored them 46-25 in the third frame. That offset Boston putting more points on the board in the other three quarters.
Now for a deep dive into what stood out as Jimmy Butler, who finished with a game-high 35 points, led Miami to a series-opening win in this Eastern Conference Finals rematch.
1. Boston did an excellent job attacking the gaps in Miami's defense early in Wednesday's matchup, creating rim pressure that pulled Bam Adebayo off Robert Williams, leading to the latter scoring six of the hosts' first eight points and the Celtics' first ten points coming in the paint.
2. Jimmy Butler immediately made his presence felt, leading all scorers with 12 points in the first frame. He routinely targeted the Time Lord, getting Boston's big man switched onto him, then utilizing the space Williams gave him to generate mid-range jumpers.
Butler also found success against Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon as point-of-attack defenders and made the defending Eastern Conference champions pay for doubling him, finding Caleb Martin for an open corner three.
But with the hosts producing 16 points in the paint and knocking down 4/9 threes, two more than the Heat, in the opening quarter, the Celtics held a 30-28 edge after 12 minutes.
3. While Joe Mazzulla hasn't often deployed a three-guard lineup or Payton Pritchard this season, he utilized a lineup featuring Pritchard, Brogdon, and Derrick White for 5:19, stretching from late in the first frame into early in the second.
The trio shared the floor with Robert Williams and Jayson Tatum, and while they worked well together and played up-tempo, a key to Boston's success, the three-guard lineup got outscored 10-13.
4. With Miami operating too slowly offensively and the Celtics attacking downhill, consistently getting to the basket, the hosts staged a 14-4 run, going from down one to leading 57-43 with less than four minutes left in the first half.
5. Boston knifing through the Heat's zone and repeatedly slicing by Miami's point-of-attack defenders was a theme throughout the first half. The Celtics had a 40-16 advantage in points in the paint after 24 minutes.
Between that, the hosts taking care of the ball as they did so, and the visitors committing 11 first-half turnovers compared to five by the former, translating to a 19-8 disparity in points off giveaways, Boston entered the break with a 66-57 lead.
6. The Celtics also deserve credit for limiting the Heat to two offensive rebounds and two second-chance points. Conversely, the former's aggressive approach helped them add 11 points off six offensive rebounds.
7. While Jayson Tatum had an excellent first half, leading all participants with 18 points, Boston also got a significant boost from its role players.
Robert Williams was a force at the rim and the primary beneficiary of the hosts' frequently putting pressure on the cylinder. He registered 12 points and six rebounds, including four at the offensive end.
Marcus Smart led all players with ten assists at halftime, including a dime on an alley-oop to the Time Lord shortly before the end of the second quarter.
The Celtics also got 12 points off the bench from Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.
8. The third quarter of Game 7 against the Sixers was Boston's best period this season. But in the series opener of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics reverted to looking less sharp coming out of halftime, committing several careless turnovers.
With Miami playing more assertively offensively, the visitors outscored the hosts 22-12 to open the second half. That grew to 33-18 as the Heat outscored Boston 18-4 in the paint by the 2:46 mark in the third quarter, gaining a 90-84 lead.
With Max Strus knocking down 3/4 threes, leading all scorers with 13 points in the period, and Butler generating 12 -- he had 27 through three quarters -- Miami consistently winning the 50-50 balls and drilling 6/9 threes, the visitors outscored the hosts 46-25, taking a 103-91 lead into the final frame.
9. The Celtics struck back to open the fourth quarter, staging a 7-0 run that started with a Derrick White three to begin the period, but the Heat don't beat themselves, and with the hosts committing six turnovers in the final frame, including four in crunch time, and Brogdon missing a free throw that would've pulled Boston within three with 2:31 left, a missed opportunity made worse by Caleb Martin burying a corner three at the other end, Miami claimed a 123-116 win to open the Eastern Conference Finals.
10. Tatum, who finished with 30 points and seven rebounds, both team-highs, did not have a field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter, playing 8:06 of the final 12 minutes, going 6/6 at the free-throw line, and committing three turnovers.
Up Next
Game 2 between the Celtics and Heat is Friday night at TD Garden; tip-off is at 8:30 ET. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the matchup before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Malcolm Brogdon Opens Up About Sacrificing as Celtics' Sixth Man: 'It’s Not Easy; It Really Isn’t'
NBA Draft Lottery Yields Unfavorable Result for Celtics
The Celtics are Motivated to Win a Championship for Al Horford, 'The Guy We've Followed All Season'
Celtics React to Jayson Tatum's Historical Game 7 Performance: 'There's Nothing They Could Do'
Jayson Tatum Discusses His Relationship with Celtics Fans: 'I Love Being Here'
Jaylen Brown Salutes TD Garden Crowd After Game 7: 'It Was Amazing'
Jayson Tatum Discusses Historic Game 7 Performance: 'That's When I Play My Best'
Jaylen Brown Discusses Whether Making an All-NBA Team Provides Clarity About His Future
