4 takeaways from the Celtics’ loss to the Heat
The Celtics lost to the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat Wednesday night, 111-106.
Here’s what we saw:
1. Bam Adebayo dominated the Celtics.
Prior to tip-off, TNT analyst and former Heat guard Dwyane Wade called the game an opportunity for All-Star center Bam Adebayo to step up in Butler’s absence. Adebayo did just that, asserting himself in the paint and consistently bullying his way to either the rim or the free-throw line.
Adebayo made five field goals — four of which came in the restricted area — and 11 free throws. The damage could have been even worse, but, as a 68.9 percent free-throw shooter on the season, Adebayo missed 7 of his 18 attempts at the line. He finished with a double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds).
“We’re fouling because they’re getting the ball so deep,” Stevens said. “If it gets down there, we’re toast. So, we’ve got to keep it from getting down there.”
In addition to Adebayo, Heat — and former Celtics — center Kelly Olynyk put up 15 points. Between the two of them, Celtics shooting guard Marcus Smart, who generally lives up to his self-proclaimed position as a “stretch six,” was tested defensively and fouled out of the game with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter. Four of Smart’s six fouls came while guarding Adebayo and Olynyk.
Other notable statistics: Miami’s bench outscored Boston’s, 43-24. The Heat also made 10 of their 24 three-point attempts (41.2 percent) in the first half, while the Celtics made just 5 of 20 (25 percent).
2. Boston’s “Best Five” lineup left a lot to be desired.
Stevens hasn’t been shy in stating the best five players on the Celtics are Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Smart.
He hasn’t deployed that lineup much in the regular season, but decided to put all five players on the court for the final 3:29 of the first half. Adebayo feasted during that span, scoring seven straight points as part of a 10-0 run. He also drew fouls on four consecutive possessions. With Boston’s “Best Five” lineup on the floor, Miami extended its lead from six points to 12.
According to the league’s data, during those three minutes, the “Best Five” lineup recorded an offensive rating of 28.6 and a defensive rating of 142.9 for an awful net rating of -114.3. Stevens is right: Those five players are his best. But it seemed like a confusing decision to go small against a team that has such an athletic, agile center in Adebayo, who clearly took advantage of the situation.
3. Kemba Walker’s minutes are trending upwards.
As he continues to manage his left knee, Walker remained on a minutes restriction for the third straight game. His limit, now up to 27, will once again gradually increase on Friday, according to Stevens.
“By the time the playoffs roll around, he’ll be up to his normal minutes,” he said.
Walker, who finished with 15 points, turned in another solid performance, showing no signs that his minutes restriction is anything beyond load management. Because Smart fouled out, he even got his first taste of fourth-quarter minutes — and delivered. In the final 90 seconds, Walker drilled two three-pointers to give the Celtics a fighting chance.
4. The Celtics blew their chance to lock up the third seed, but the chances of them dropping are slim.
After three of their eight “regular-season” games, the Celtics have essentially no chance of catching the Toronto Raptors for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Friday’s matchup between the two teams still will surely be an entertaining and revealing test, but the defending champion Raptors — with a 4.5-game cushion in the standings — will more than likely maintain the second seed regardless of the result.
The Celtics find themselves looking to hold on to the East’s third seed, as they sit only 1.5 games ahead of the Heat, who are just a game up on the Indiana Pacers, who are 1.5 games up on the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston’s remaining five games are against fairly beatable opponents — the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, to name two — so the chances of falling are low.
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