After a horrible loss against the Orlando Magic, the Celtics got a chance to gain some ground back against the Miami Heat. Behind yet another big 4th quarter performance from our newfound closer, Boston was able to do just that, capturing a 100-90 win over the Miami Heat. Here’s what we liked and didn’t like.
UP
1. Pounding the Paint
A night after being pummeled down low by the Magic, the Celtics did an excellent job getting into the paint and capitalizing. They outscored the Heat 42-24 in the paint.
2. Luigi !!!
After a pretty surprising performance against the Magic, Datome came out again and looked even more impressive. His IQ on the court is very refreshing. He picks his spots well, and he seldom forces anything. His ability to finish in transition and create his own shot occasionally may end up being the reason he takes all of James Young’s rotation minutes. Luigi finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds.
3. Controlling the Glass
Boston dominated the Heat on the glass with a 43-32 edge in overall rebounds, and a whopping 16-5 advantage on the offensive glass. Those 2nd and 3rd possessions were crucial in a game in which the free throws were heavily tilted in one direction.
4. Isaiah Thomas Continues the Brilliance
After starting off the 1st half cold, Isaiah came out in the 2nd half swinging. He finished with 25 points in the game, including 12 big 4th quarter points which helped hold off a late surge by Miami. His shiftiness was too much for any of the Heat defenders to handle, and he was able to get wherever he wanted on the court, including the charity stripe where he went a perfect 8/8. Another game, another great finish by #IT4th.
Down
1. Hassan Whiteside
Talent wise, Whiteside may fall in the top half among big men, but his IQ may just put him below DeMarcus Cousins. With your team shorthanded and in a tight game with playoff implications, there is no way in hell that you get yourself ejected. Whiteside delivered two cheapshots to Kelly Olynyk and got the boot. He was also suspended for 1 game.
2. Free Throws
Though the Celtics were able to score with success in the paint, the Heat were able to get to the free throw line 17 times more than the Celtics (34-17).
3. Containing Dwayne Wade
For the first 3 quarters the Celtics did a great job keeping Wade in check. But Wade went off in the 4th, scoring 15 of his 34 points in the quarter, even getting some M-V-P chants from some overzealous fans. Lucky for Boston they had a big time player to turn to themselves.
4. No more James Young?
We discussed how raw James Young has looked since being added into the rotation, and things got a lot messier for him with the emergence of Luigi Datome. Coach Stevens has already showed that he plays to win, and he won’t just give players minutes for the sake of them getting some time on the floor. This most likely means that James Young will be faced with yet another challenge of having to out work Datome for his rotation spot back, something he may not be able to do this season.
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