Blowout wins have defined this year’s Eastern Conference Finals as the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are locked in a battle over who can take a 20-point lead first!
The largest margins in Game 1 were Miami’s 20, Boston’s 34 in Game 2, Miami’s 26 in Game 3, and Boston’s 32 in Game 4.
Will no game in this series be a complete blowout?
After that streak ended 2-2 in Miami on Wednesday night, both teams felt the pressure to pull off a massive win that put them closer to the NBA Finals.
The Miami Heat led by five points at halftime and looked like they had the upper hand after only holding Boston to 37 points in the first half, but then the Celtics came out hot in the third quarter, beating Miami by 32: 16 and grabbed an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The second half of Game 5 was all about Boston as the Celtics beat Miami 56-38 to win the game 93-80 and take a 3-2 lead in the series into Boston for Game 6 on Friday take over.
The Celtics’ performance was very impressive, not only because they came from behind to win with their offense, but because this is now the second straight game they’ve held the Heat to 82 points or fewer.
Now, just one win away from the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics could finish first place in the Eastern Conference on their home field.
There was a lot to talk about in Game 5, so let’s take a look at three key takeaways from that game.
Boston’s defense has the blueprint for Miami’s offense
Coming back to Game 4 in Boston, it’s very clear to see that the Celtics are ahead of the pack in this series at the moment because of their defensive performance. Even going back to Game 1, you can see the improvements made by head coach Ime Udoka and his staff.
Miami had plenty of success in pick and roll sets on offense in Game 1 of this series and Jimmy Butler prevailed to get every point on the floor. The Heat won that first game 118-107.
Since then, they have surpassed 102 points only once and have been held at 82 and 80 points respectively in the last two games.
Boston has five players in its starting rotation that have been considered by All-Defense this season, and that’s no coincidence. The Celtics are an elite defensive team and the adjustments they’ve made at that end of the ground have allowed them to win three of the last four games in this series of Eastern Conference Finals.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment Boston has made to defense is not allowing Max Strus and other perimeter players to feel comfortable. Grant Williams and Jaylen Brown both deserve credit for their defensive ends, but one of the most effective on-ball defenders for the Celtics was Derrick White from the bench.
The Heat’s guards have never had room to operate outside the perimeter in recent games, and in Game 5, Miami could never get the shots they wanted because Boston was more physical than them on defense.
Other than Jimmy Butler, no one on Miami’s roster has been able to get going offensively, and that’s directly due to the adjustments the Celtics have made to defense over the course of this series.
The Heat doesn’t have consistent scoring chances other than Jimmy Butler
Since Game 1, the Heat haven’t really had any success against Boston in the offensive end of the court. Jimmy Butler was their only real scorer, and with him not looking right due to an ongoing knee problem, the Heat’s offense was temporarily dead.
They’ve averaged 82 points or fewer in each of their last two games against the Celtics and there’s real cause for concern if you’re a Heat fan because no one is stepping up.
Bam Adebayo has been kept in check, Kyle Lowry is suffering from a hamstring injury, Tyler Herro has missed the last two games with a groin injury and Jimmy Butler cannot do everything for this team.
With Adebayo and Lowry not affecting the outcome of the game, the only heats left are Victor Oladipo, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent to turn to.
These three guys can’t compete with the likes of Jayson Tayum and Jaylen Brown, which is why the Heat find themselves in a 3-2 hole on this series.
Perhaps the best we can take away from this streak right now is that while Miami are a great defensive team and definitely a championship contender, they’re still some way from actually winning a title. This character is another elite scoring option alongside Butler, and while Bam Adebayo might be that type of player, he’s proven in these playoffs that his offensive performance can be so-so.
In the offseason, Adebayo really needs to work on his offensive game and get more aggressive in color, otherwise Miami will have to look elsewhere and on the trade block for another All-Star to pair with Butler in hopes of winning a title.
Robert Williams III is key to Celtics success
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are top scorers for the Celtics, Al Horford was great for the Cs and Derrick White really came off the bench in this series.
The Celtics’ most important player, however, is Robert Williams III, and his tenacity on the defensive end of the field makes Boston a true championship contender.
While he sometimes hobbled throughout the series due to knee pain, Williams has consistently shown throughout the course of this series why he is one of the best rim protectors in the league, and he had a massive impact in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
With 6 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks, Robert Williams finished his fourth game of the series with at least 2 blocks.
All night Miami tried to attack the color against Boston, but they were either turned down by Williams or sent back the other way due to his ability to deny a shot.
He may not be a huge influence on offense, but Robert Williams III is the Celtics’ defensive anchor and his ability to take every shot around the edge really changes his opponent’s approach on offense.
In this series, the Heat has made it difficult to get into the paint, especially in the center of Bam Adebayo and a lot of credit has to be given to Williams. At just 24, Williams has quickly become an influential defensive center in the NBA.
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