BOSTON—The Boston Celtics look to bounce back in Game 4 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat and tie the series at two games apiece. Boston fell to Miami in Game 3 Saturday night at TD Garden by a final score of 109-103.
What Has Happened So Far
This series has been a whirlwind, as the two teams struggle to find a consistent rhythm. After the Celtics conceded 54 points in the first half of Game 1, the Heat outscored the Celtics 39-14 in the third quarter alone. They lost the game by 11.
Game 2 was a completely different story, as it was the Heat who found themselves victims of an unexpected scoring run. Miami opened the game up 18-8, but it was all downhill from there, being outscored the rest of the first quarter, 27-6.
The series shifted to the TD Garden in Boston for Game 3. But even with the home crowd on their side, the Celtics could not muster up the energy they needed at the start. Boston was down by 21 points after the opening frame. Their largest deficit was 26 points. Despite outscoring the Heat in the second half, the Celtics could not complete the comeback.
Miami won the game by six in a wire-to-wire fashion.
Keys to the Game: Celtics
Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III, two pivotal starters for Boston, have been listed as questionable for Game 4. Smart is dealing with a rolled right ankle he suffered in Game 3, while Williams III continues to combat soreness in his left knee. Williams received surgery towards the end of the regular season.
Having one of these starters out would put the Celtics in a very difficult position, despite the home crowd being on their side.
Nonetheless, the stage is set for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to display all their talents for the world to see. Despite suffering a cervical nerve impingement late in Game 3, Tatum is likely to still play in Game 4. After averaging 28 points in the first two games of the series, Tatum scored just 10 points on 3-14 shooting (1-7 on three pointers) on Saturday.
But it is more than just the scoring the fifth-year star will need to provide. In his last 10 playoff games, when Tatum had at least four assists, the Celtics won. That includes two games of notching eight assists in the last series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Boston won both of those games—by 23 and 28 points.
Jaylen Brown has been one of the most consistent players on the offensive end for the Celtics in the series. While Tatum struggled in Game 3, Brown scored 40 points, the highest he has scored in this year’s postseason. He also hauled in nine rebounds. The main key for Brown is to continue this offensive dominance by getting to the free-throw line and continuing to shoot from beyond the arc. Brown has scored at least three baskets from downtown in the first three games of this series.
Along with the Celtics’ two superstars, the role players must step up to the plate, including veteran leader Al Horford. In Game 3, Horford scored 20 points, notching a team-high 14 rebounds as well. Horford’s influence both on and off the court has paid dividends for Boston. They will need every bit of it in Game 4 if they want to avoid a 3-1 deficit before the series heads back to South Beach for Game 5.
Keys to the Game: Heat
Kyle Lowry returned to action for Miami in Game 3 after missing the last four games due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks. Although he scored just 11 points, Lowry’s presence is felt most on the defensive end. By securringfour steals and got his other teammates involved, registering six assists.
Lowry is questionable for Game 4 with his continuing hamstring injury.
One of those teammates that benefitted from Lowry’s return was Bam Adebayo. Adebayo dominated from the start with a drive and score on Al Horford in the first couple of minutes. At the end of four quarters, Adebayo had 31 points on 15-22 shooting from the field.
It was his best performance of the series after scoring a combined 16 points in the first two games back in Miami.
One reason Adebayo scored with such ease was due to the absence of Robert Williams III for the Celtics. If he is out again for Boston, Adebayo must continue to attack the paint and score from the midrange if Miami is to get another road win in these playoffs.
Jimmy Butler hopes to return to action for a full 48 minutes in Game 4. Butler did not play in the second half of Game 3 due to inflammation in his right knee. In the first two games of the series against Boston, Butler was nothing short of spectacular. He opened the series scoring 41 points. He proceeded to tally 29 points in Game 2, despite it being a blowout loss.
If Butler is available to play in Game 4, he must be able to dominate from mid-range, especially if Marcus Smart is not guarding him. He also must continue to find ways of creating contact and getting to the free throw line. Butler has gone an impressive 25-28 from the charity stripe in the series thus far.
Tyler Herro has yet to have a breakout game. He is coming off his worst shooting performance in the series in Game 3 (scoring eight points on 4-15 shooting). Herro questionable for Game 4 after suffering a groin injury Saturday. If the Heat want to capture a 3-1 series lead, this year’s NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner will need to provide a strong scoring punch coming off the bench.Game 4 Information
What’s Next?
After Monday’s Game 4 showdown, the 2022 Eastern Conference finals will return to Miami for Game 5. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m EST this Wednesday.
