There’s no doubt that the Boston Celtics have produced an impressive turnaround in their Eastern Conference finals series with the Miami Heat.
Though the job isn’t finished, even winning two games and being on the doorstep of forcing a Game 7 should earn the C’s some credit. They just might not be deserving of all the credit.
There was something that changed in Miami between the Celtics’ loss in Game 3 and win in Game 4. Sure, they stopped playing like they had never seen a basketball before, but there was something bigger than that to happen in the world. The moon changed. In the days between May 17 and May 21 — when the Heat took their 3-0 lead — the Miami moon was full. In the days since, it waxed into a crescent and eventual first quarter.
Did the Celtics feel the change?
“I did not. I was not aware of that,” Jaylen Brown told Abby Chinn of NBC Sports Boston at Saturday’s shootaround prior to Game 6. “You could argue that you did feel it. You could see the team — our difference, our energy, everything was kind of going wrong the first three games. The last two, I feel like the momentum switched a little bit. Maybe that was just the level of play we’ve had, but maybe it’s some science to it after all.”
If you’re not into astrology, here’s what that means. A full moon is supposedly a time to be receptive, to take the light and awareness of spirit into your emotional and physical body. That makes sense, considering the Celtics received a big ole punch in the mouth.
A waxing crescent phase is often referred to as the rebuilding phase. It is believed that once the moon has re-emerged with new energy, it is the perfect time to set new intentions for the month ahead and work on self-improvement. Two games, two wins and a whole new lease on their season? Yeah, that sounds like the Celtics.
The Celtics have made clear changes on the court, developing an effective way to attack the Heat’s zone defense and changing up their defensive philosophy on the likes of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to force more turnovers and play their brand of basketball. The energy has shifted in a sense. That could just be because of the same resolve the Celtics have shown in elimination games over the past two seasons, but don’t count out something bigger.
