Finger-pointing after falling into an 0-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference finals definitely isn’t the solution for the Boston Celtics.
However, if doing so, it should be done correctly.
Grant Williams pulled a bold move in Game 2 against the Miami Heat on Friday night, responsible for “poking” Jimmy Butler after a heated verbal exchange in which the two butted heads in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 111-105 loss. This highly-competitive move, while fair to attribute to Butler’s firepower in propelling Miami to the finish line, isn’t indicative of Boston’s issue. If anything, blaming Williams is just a lousy cop-out and a huge misunderstanding of what’s actually going on when the Celtics collapse in crunch-time moments this playoff run.
Butler, also known as “Playoff Jimmy,” flourishes in the pressure-filled atmosphere, while Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have ducked under the covers on several instances within the last three rounds alone.
In the fourth quarter, the Celtics held an 83-75 lead. The chances of going to Miami with a split series and the pendulum swinging in Boston’s favor were alive and well. That was until the Celtics buckled under the pressure and fell flat on their faces yet again.
Tatum didn’t connect on a single shot attempt in the final frame. Brown, who’s expressed his desire to be leaned on as Boston’s go-to man, was also nowhere to be found, scoring just three points in the fourth quarter. Both Tatum and Brown combined to shoot 1-of-8 with eight points while watching the Heat toy with Boston and embarrass the Celtics on their own home floor.
Therefore, begging the question: How is Williams at fault here?
Should pushing Butler to play his best really warrant blame on a three-and-D guy off the bench who rummages for playoff minutes because he’s been reduced to a massively inconsistent role? Absolutely not. The Celtics should be prepared for the best Butler offers while also being capable of reducing any of the outside threats that Miami might pose, such as Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson — who combined to score 51 points in Game 2. That doesn’t fall on Williams.
“I mean, he didn’t really do anything wrong necessarily,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame after Game 2. “So, I don’t think it’s emotions getting the best of him.”
After Game 1, Mazzulla was disgruntled with members of the media, emphasizing that the Celtics were prepared, but not detailed, causing their first of two fourth-quarter collapses this series.
Well, where was that preparation applied in Game 2? Where were the adjustments?
The Heat didn’t really need to do a whole lot different in order to get the same result. They leaned on Butler, which won’t change, regardless of whether or not Williams fuels him. They also leaned on their darkhorse contributors, also known as their perimeter shooters to ease their ball movement and create a diverse and efficient offense to pressure the Celtics. That’s now back-to-back instances in which Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has been able to look toward Miami’s depth in order to keep them on track.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have lacked depth, which was a pivotal factor in their regular season and haven’t been able to rely on their stars in the big moments. The Celtics finished as the No. 2 seed this past season but continue to stoop to new all-time lows and make the Heat look like a No. 1 seed.
If Boston hopes to keep its season alive, perhaps killing off the habit of blowing double-digit leads — which they’ve done throughout the playoffs — could be a promising start moving forward.
