Feast or famine. Jekyll and Hyde. The good, the bad, the ugly. [Insert your own expression here.]
There were times tonight (a majority of this game, perhaps) where the Celtics looked comfortably better than the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, there were too many times where they stood around and played like dumbasses. The result? An agonizing, infuriating 117-114 OT loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The main culprit tonight was… a stagnant offense. There had to be 30 possessions where the Celtics (specifically Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker) would dribble 15-to-18 seconds off the shot clock and be forced to take terrible shots. I realize Miami is a good defensive team, but this was self-inflicted pain.
Tatum (30 points, 10-24 FG, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) was great tonight. Sure, he took a questionable shot at the end of regulation and had his lunch handed to him by Bam Adebayo in a block for the ages at the end of overtime, but the kid is shouldering a lot.
Kemba Walker (19 points, 6-19 FG) had another mediocre game. Eight critical points late in the 4th and OT spared him from being truly terrible. Something needs to change with Kemba.
Let’s run through it, shall we?
Tatum with the midrange stepback over Herro. Celtics open 5-of-7 from the floor. pic.twitter.com/MN8K3onilT
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) September 15, 2020
The Celtics are amazing defensively. So disciplined, it's rare you find them blowing rotations or falling out of position. Great start for them forcing the Heat into a ton of tough, contested looks.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) September 15, 2020
End of 1Q: Celtics 26, Heat 18
☘️ Smart: 10 PTS
☘️ Tatum: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST
☘️ FG: 10-20 (50%)
♨️ FG: 6-22 (27.3%)— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) September 15, 2020
Robert Williams is punching shots: pic.twitter.com/YBnmGVEHjr
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) September 16, 2020
.@FCHWPO ties it up with 10 seconds to go in the first half ☘️ pic.twitter.com/D47h9Tzahq
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 15, 2020
MIA SHOOTING
1Q: 6-for-22
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) September 15, 2020
Jayson Tatum up to 23 points on 8/14 FG: pic.twitter.com/v9HSeqpSw1
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) September 16, 2020
Kelly O getting cooked by Tatum >>>>>>>>
And T'd up to boot.
— Mike Dynon ☘️🏀 (@MikeDynon) September 16, 2020
ball movement 💯 pic.twitter.com/N4WmARiv4U
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 16, 2020
Folks,,, Celtics won a third quarter
— Handsome B. Wonderful (@JamPackard) September 16, 2020
The lead reached 14 points (85-71) early in the 4th quarter. It was a three-possession game (97-90) with 6 minutes remaining. The lead was 5 points (105-100) with 1:09 remaining. But…
JIMMY BUTLER FOR THE LEAD 😮 pic.twitter.com/K09h1Pzyx0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 16, 2020
The game was tied before Boston inbounded the ball because Marcus Smart drew a dead ball foul (OF COURSE HE DID) on Derrick Jones. Unfortunately…
Jayson Tatum frustrated after missing the shot at the buzzer.
Game 1 of the ECF is going to OT. pic.twitter.com/Q7gqsN7N2w
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 16, 2020
Just a garbage shot by Tatum. You have to take the ball to the rim and try to draw the foul (REMEMBER THIS THOUGHT).
Cardiac. Kemba. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/LFSIsB4tcJ
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) September 16, 2020
After Jimmy Butler drove through Tatum for the and-1, the Celtics trailed by two when…
BAM SENDS TATUM'S SHOT BACK 💥
HEAT TAKE GAME ONE. pic.twitter.com/27Zzj8rTu0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 16, 2020
A spectacular play by Bam Adebayo. Spectacular and infuriating because the Celtics never should have been in this position in the first place.
Upon further review, is this goaltending? I see Adebayo’s hand on the rim and the ball over the cylinder. Ahem…
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