The Boston Celtics seemed to have complete control of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Toronto Raptors after building a 2-0 lead in commanding fashion. After OG Anunoby’s heroics in Game three, however, and a lifeless effort in Game four, the Celtics find themselves in a dogfight. Now, it’s time for Boston to make some adjustments and come back with a strong Game five performance to regain control of this series.
Play With Energy And Effort
In game four, the Raptors came out and played like their season was on the line. The Celtics, however, came out flat. This cost them in a big way, you can’t play lazy against the Raptors and expect to win. Two plays can sum up the entire game on which team played hard and which team didn’t. The first play happens in the first minute of the game, where four Celtics watch a rebound bounce while Kyle Lowry actually grabs it.
The second play occurs late in the fourth quarter. Even though the Celtics were rewarded with a jump ball, the effort from Lowry is tremendous.
Expect the heart and soul of the Celtics, Marcus Smart to set the tone with his effort in game five.
Stick Smart On Lowry
For some reason, Brad Stevens has yet to put Smart on Lowry. Jayson Tatum has been the primary defender instead, as his height and length usually does a decent job bothering the smaller guard. After back-to-back performances of leading the way offensively, it’s time for Smart to disrupt Lowry and not let him get comfortable early. The Raptors are running a lot of high screens for Lowry, which Tatum isn’t quick enough to get around. This leaves the six-time all-star with either a wide open pull-up three, or a lane to attack the basket. Smart is the best Celtics defender at fighting through screens and has the length and strength to harass Lowry.
Don’t Give Up On Timelord
Robert Williams has provided the Celtics a tremendous boost off the bench, averaging 7.5 points per game and has added a dimension that the Celtics don’t get from their other big men. In game four, however, Williams played just two minutes in the second half. Stevens elected to go small and put Grant Williams at the five as Serge Ibaka was giving the Celtics problems from the outside. Stevens needs to stay with the Timelord, as he has given the Celtics a jolt of energy whenever he’s been on the floor. He has had a positive net rating in three of the four games in this series.
https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1301680994588655616?s=20
Make Some Shots
Last but not least– make some shots. The Celtics shot an absolutely horrendous 20 percent from three in game four. The odds of them shooting this poor again are low. However, they only shot 31 percent from three in game three, so the last two games have seen the Celtics fall off in shooting. It’s a make or miss league and it holds true in this series. Whichever team made the most three’s won the game.
Game 5 tips tonight at 6:30 PM ET.
Follow us on Twitter @CelticsLead for the latest Celtics news and insight.
Leave a comment