CLEVELAND — Over the previous few seasons, three issues have been constant concerning the Boston Celtics’ deep playoff runs: They’ve performed lengthy sequence, they’ve struggled at residence, and so they’ve excelled on the highway.
It stays to be seen if the Celtics can change the primary two. However in Saturday’s Recreation 3 in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics ensured the third would proceed.
Behind a scientific defensive effort and spectacular performances from stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 106-93 to take a 2-1 lead on this best-of-seven sequence.
“We had been simply attempting to get a win, understanding that we did not play in addition to we wished to in Recreation 2,” Tatum mentioned. “And it was an awesome check and alternative for us to return out and reply and play higher and play tougher and all these issues.”
Over the previous three seasons, Boston is 14-14 in 28 residence playoff video games, essentially the most performed over a three-year span with out posting a successful file in NBA historical past, in keeping with ESPN Stats & Info. Nevertheless, in these three seasons, the Celtics reached the NBA Finals in 2022 and the convention finals final season, and they’re favored to make a deep playoff run this 12 months largely as a result of they’ve gone 17-7 on the highway.
After a lackadaisical effort of their Recreation 2 loss, one which included what Brown referred to as an “unacceptable” defensive efficiency, the Celtics ratcheted issues up at each ends Saturday to make sure one other highway victory — their fifth straight within the postseason, courting again to final 12 months’s playoffs.
Tatum and Brown led the trouble, combining to attain 61 factors — 33 for Tatum and 28 for Brown — because the Celtics shot 51.2% from the sector and went 13-for-34 (38.2%) from 3-point vary.
“I believe we simply want all people to be on the identical web page and all people to return out with the correct effort,” Brown mentioned. “That is 85% of the battle proper there. We come out, we play laborious, after which we’re on the identical web page and the remaining will deal with itself. We obtained sufficient expertise within the locker room to beat groups.
“But when we’re not on the identical web page and we’re not taking part in laborious, these are after we get ourselves in bother. So ensuring, earlier than the sport at movie and shootaround, speaking to all people, touching all people, letting all people know that, ‘Hey, we’re not right here to mess around.’
“We did not come to Cleveland for the climate, so let’s go.”
That mindset was particularly evident in Boston’s defensive depth. Regardless of a spectacular 33-point efficiency from Donovan Mitchell, the Celtics largely managed the sport by clamping down on the remainder of Cleveland’s choices.
Moreover Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who had 17 factors however did not have the identical mobility after injuring his left foot/ankle within the third quarter, the remainder of the Cavaliers mixed for 43 factors on 17-for-51 taking pictures, together with 5-for-23 from 3-point vary.
“I simply suppose we did not hit the identical pictures we did [in Game 2],” Mitchell mentioned. “For us, simply having the ability to end … we missed numerous pictures on the rim, myself included, missed numerous pictures that I believe we simply obtained to make. And in addition we did not actually shoot that nice from 3, however not a nasty %, however we did not shoot that nicely. So I believe these are various things and we obtained to get our appears to be like and take them, as a result of if we do not, we’re driving again into the group and so they need us to. So having the ability to take our pictures, after they’re open.”
Now the Celtics want one other sturdy highway efficiency in Recreation 4 with a purpose to return residence with an opportunity to shut this sequence out. Can they keep away from slipping up like they did in Recreation 2 and giving Cleveland an opportunity to get again into it once more?
“It is the playoffs,” Brown mentioned. “Something can occur, particularly in case you come out flat. We have got to do a greater job of that. We won’t suppose like this sequence goes to go like final sequence. We have got to return out and have the identical defensive effort going into Recreation 4, and that is simply the urgency we have to have.”
