Celtics fans shouldn’t panic after Boston’s loss to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Not only is Boston’s roster still loaded with talent. The Celtics also have elevated their game this season when faced with adversity. And there’s at least one specific trend that points to the C’s bouncing back in Game 2 at TD Garden.
ESPN.com published a piece Friday morning looking at the Celtics-Heat series, and one section was dedicated to showing how history actually is on Boston’s side in Game 2 despite the Green dropping Game 1 at home.
Here’s what ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wrote:
There’s a remarkable postseason trend that has continued into these playoffs: Teams that lose Game 1 at home have won Game 2, often in blowout fashion. The last team to lose both games at home to start a series was the LA Clippers in their 2021 first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, which they came back to win in seven games.
Since then, Game 1 home losers are 16-0 in Game 2 with an average victory margin of 17.2 points. We’ve had a lot of opportunities to put this trend to the test this year: The eight Game 1 losses by the home team have been the most in any playoffs in NBA history.
The Celtics won their first two games at home against the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1, a series that ultimately lasted six contests. They lost their first game at home against the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 2, though, before rebounding with a 121-87 victory in Game 2 at TD Garden. The C’s beat the Sixers in seven games. So, Boston already has been down this road in the playoffs.
The Heat have, as well, pulling off road wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively. Unfortunately for Miami, it wasn’t able to immediately capitalize in either instance, as the Heat lost Game 2 in Milwaukee 138-122 and Game 2 in New York 111-105.
The Heat won both of those series, so it’s not as if their inability to seize a 2-0 lead hurt them in the long run. But taking Game 1 in Boston represents a golden opportunity before the best-of-seven set shifts to Miami for Games 3 and 4. After all, once the Celtics get going, they’re difficult to stop.
The Celtics, who suffered 123-116 loss in Game 1 on Wednesday night, enter Friday night’s Game 2 as nine-point favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook.
