David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Game 7 Loss to Heat: Celtics Come Up Small, Enter Offseason of Uncertainty
The Celtics seemed doomed from the start. Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle on the first play of Game 7, leaving him compromised the rest of the night.
On the heels of a season-ending 103-84 loss, the four-time All-Star expressed, "It was just frustrating that I was kind of like a shell of myself."
At least he had an excuse for finishing with 14 points on 13 shots. Everyone else on the team besides him and Derrick White didn't meet the moment.
White registered 18 points, 13 in the second half, the second-most in the final 24 minutes, even though they all came in the third quarter, and a knee injury ended his night with 7:51 left in the final frame.
Jaylen Brown, who finished with 19 points, had eight of Boston's 15 turnovers. It's the most giveaways of his career.
And with shots not falling and the hosts shooting 39 percent from the field, including 9/42 (21.4 percent) from beyond the arc, the misses mounting up made it increasingly difficult to stage a comeback.
Now, for a deep dive into another defeat that brought the Celtics' shortcomings to the surface, as they got away from the defensive identity that best suits them and had Boston one win from becoming the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-0 deficit.
1. Game 7 was a disaster for the hosts from the first play of the night. Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle, staying down for a while. It continued to bother him, making it clear his bad wheel was something he'd have to try to work around.
The Celtics' shooting was also an issue in a first frame where they were ice cold, finishing with 15 points and missing all ten threes they took. After the opening 12 minutes, it brought their shooting percentage from beyond the arc below 31 percent for the series.
The hosts manufactured quality opportunities that didn't go down, including multiple misses in close by Jaylen Brown, who paced Boston with eight points in the first quarter.
2. But too often, the ball wound up in the corner, forcing someone to make a play rather than stretching out Miami's zone defense.
In a Game 7 that's started slow and physical, the Celtics need to aid their effort to find a rhythm by exploiting the weaknesses in the Heat's defense, not pulling back on a fast break, then firing up a three from above the break like Marcus Smart did.
And with the visitors injecting more switching into their defensive scheme, spreading them out and attacking the vulnerabilities at the hashes and the foul line becomes even more crucial.
3. Defensive lapses and an inability to find their rhythm offensively put Boston in a 17-point hole. According to Celtics' radio play-by-play broadcaster Sean Grande, the team's 0-11 this season when falling behind by that much.
4. The hosts chipped into Miami's lead, entering halftime down 52-41. Forcing four turnovers from the visitors in the second frame led to seven points, helping their cause.
Creating opportunities to pick up the tempo also helped Boston find a bit of a rhythm, making 52.4 percent of its second-quarter field goals, including 4/11 (36.4 percent) of its threes.
But the first 24 minutes mostly belonged to the Heat. The Celtics must adjust to the wrinkles in the former's zone defense. The most vulnerable areas don't change, and Miami's relying on a rubber band, liable to snap when stretched too far.
5. Boston would also be wise to do more to get Jayson Tatum going. Four of the two-time All-NBA First Team member's six second-period points came in transition.
And when his team got him the ball down low against Duncan Robinson, he capitalized, backing down the overmatched defender before facing up for a bucket from in close.
Between that and getting him the ball in the middle of the zone, the Celtics can do more to help their superstar become more impactful in the second half.
Tatum entered the break with seven points on 3/7 shooting. To his credit, he grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists. The former led all participants at halftime; the latter was a team-best after 24 minutes.
6. Derrick White gave the hosts life and finally provided a reason for a TD Garden crowd looking to erupt, a reason to do so. The hero of Game 6 staged an 8-0 run, including drilling a three from the right wing and completing an old-school three-point play that brought Boston within eight, 59-51, with 8:29 left in the third frame.
White, the glue that held the Celtics together, registered 13 points in a period no one else on either side reached double digits.
7. But with Tatum playing with a bad wheel and no one else doing much to help White try to will Boston back into the game, the hosts entered the final frame trailing 76-66.
It could've been single digits, but Miami wisely targeted Tatum on its final play, inbounding from under its hoop, getting the ball to the player the Celtics' star matched up with, and racing down the floor, leading to a Caleb Martin jumper to push the Heat's advantage back to double digits with 12 minutes left.
8. The hosts never showed much reason to have optimism they'd rally to make history and get back to the NBA Finals, but the start of the fourth quarter delivered the backbreaker.
Tatum missed a layup, Martin knocked down a three at the other end, a Brown basket at the rim turned into an offensive foul for getting Bam Adebayo with his elbow, and Jimmy Butler buried a pull-up jumper. Immediately after that, he stole the ball from Jaylen Brown, leading to him throwing down a dunk that put Miami ahead 83-66 with 10:50 left.
9. It never turned around for the Celtics, who got outplayed, with everyone not named Derrick White coming up small -- Tatum gets a pass after hurting his ankle on the first play, clearly compromising him the rest of the game.
The Basketball Gods seemed to reward the Heat, with 50/50 balls consistently bouncing their way and calls ranging from borderline to questionable going in their favor.
It was an impressive resurgence from the defending Eastern Conference champions, but in Game 7, on their home floor, they weren't up for the task.
Now comes an offseason filled with questions, starting with sorting out Jaylen Brown's future.
Further Reading
Jaylen Brown Reacts to Historic Run Against Miami Heat in Eastern Conference Finals
Derrick White Discusses Season-Saving Buzzer Beater: 'Now It's on to Game 7'
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'
Jaylen Brown Responds to Rumors of Disconnect in Celtics Locker Room
