BOSTON -- When the Celtics dropped Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Heat, the team succumbed to the poor habits that prevented them from returning to the NBA Finals last season.
Miami's Caleb Martin -- intentional or not -- committed a hard and unnecessary foul on Boston star Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter of Game 1, which the Celtics led at that point by a landslide. Yet, when both teams returned, the Celtics didn't have a response to Miami's aggression and instead allowed themselves to get punked as the Heat drained a franchise playoff-record-setting 23 3-pointers, making it "easy" to point the finger to one deficiency: Boston's postseason toughness.
"You can see how talented we are and I think it's easy to say that teams can out-tough us," Tatum said after Boston's 118-84 Game 5 win at TD Garden. "I never understood that. Like what's the definition of tough? Having louder guys on your team. That (expletive) don't make you tough."
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Instead of kicking an already down Heat team after opening Game 5 with a 41-23 first-quarter lead, the Celtics allowed a series victory -- not revenge -- fuel their tempo. When it came to protecting the glass, Boston made an example out of Miami by winning the rebounding battle, 56-29. When it came to getting to the line, the Celtics rarely fouled the Heat, shooting 27 free-throw attempts to Miami's 10. Those margins, which head coach Joe Mazzulla has previously emphasized, encompassed Boston's crystal clear urgency.
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The Celtics held Miami to under 25 points in each quarter of regulation, including an 18-point final frame for which the reserve unit was responsible. Miami never had possession of a lead, meanwhile, Boston led by as many as 34 points, granting the starters an early clock-out to the bench.
"What's (opposing team's) message, what's their game plan to beat us? And it's to pick up the pace, the pressure. Be more physical, crash the glass, do all the intangible things," Tatum explained. "So we know that. Why don't we flip the script and be the tougher team? Why don't we clash the glass more? Why don't we pick up the pressure on defense, while still being the talented team we are? It'd be tough to beat us."
Miami discovered that difficulty first-hand, desperately searching for answers offensively. Boston cooled the Heat's previous-hot hand from beyond the perimeter, holding them to a horrific 3-of-29 (10.3%) shooting from three.
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"I thought we played with real speed on the offensive end," Mazzulla acknowledged. "Very purposeful getting to our spacing, getting to the right matchup. So I really liked the intentionality we played with on both ends."
Featured image via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
