BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics walks through a crowd of fans after the Celtics defeat the Nets 115-114 in Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on April 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Sunday’s Game 1 contest between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics certainly lived up to expectations. The two teams battled, and despite a 15-point Celtics lead in the second half, the game came right down to the wire.
Brilliant performances from stars and role players alike reminded fans just how good this series could be. Despite an incredible game and some late game heroics from Kyrie Irving, the Celtics stole a win via a buzzer-beating Jayson Tatum layup.
3 keys to a Game 2 win for the Boston Celtics
Boston fans can exhale for now, but everyone knows that this series is far from over, and to take down Brooklyn and advance, the Celtics will need to make some adjustments. With Game 2 taking place on Wednesday (4/20), the Cs will have some time to rest before they attempt to defend their home court again.
In Game 1, the Celtics did heaps of great things on the court. When they needed it most, their defense stepped up and forced misses. Marcus Smart and Al Horford turned in brilliant performances on both ends of the court.
Jaylen Brown and other Celtics displayed incredible poise and execution down the stretch. There are seriously a lot of positive take aways from game one, however, that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas need improvement.
In this piece I’ll be taking a look at three specific keys that I feel will help the Celtics roll to a Game 2 win on Wednesday.
Boston Celtics certainly lived up to expectations. The two teams battled, and despite a 15-point Celtics lead in the second half, the game came right down to the wire.</p>
<p>Brilliant performances from stars and role players alike reminded fans just how good this series could be. Despite an incredible game and some late game heroics from Kyrie Irving, the Celtics stole a win via a <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/19/keys-boston-celtics-win/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPUXpH5Sww4%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">buzzer-beating Jayson Tatum layup</a>.</p>
<h2>3 keys to a Game 2 win for the Boston Celtics</h2>
<p>Boston fans can exhale for now, but everyone knows that this series is far from over, and to take down Brooklyn and advance, the Celtics will need to make some adjustments. With Game 2 taking place on Wednesday (4/20), the Cs will have some time to rest before they attempt to defend their home court again.</p>
<p>In Game 1, the Celtics did heaps of great things on the court. When they needed it most, their defense stepped up and forced misses. Marcus Smart and Al Horford turned in brilliant performances on both ends of the court.</p>
<p>Jaylen Brown and other Celtics displayed incredible poise and execution down the stretch. There are seriously a lot of positive take aways from game one, however, that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas need improvement.</p>
<p>In this piece I’ll be taking a look at three specific keys that I feel will help the Celtics roll to a Game 2 win on Wednesday.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/19/keys-boston-celtics-win/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Key to Victory #1 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics scores the game winning basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourty quarter of Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on April 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Nets 115-114. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3 keys to a Game 2 win for the Boston Celtics: Finish shots around the rim</h2>
<p>One of the major areas where the Celtics struggled in Game 2 was finishing some of the easy looks they generated. In the fourth quarter alone, there were three major missed layups (one a putback dunk) that turned into transition buckets for Brooklyn.</p>
<p>In the regular season, the Celtics were the second-best team in the league on finishing shots from five feet or closer to the basket (66.4 percent). In game 2, the Celtics will have to regain this ability and finish after generating open looks down low.</p>
<p>Brooklyn lacks elite rim protection, and attacking inside is certainly a major part of the Celtics’ offensive game plan. Whether it was Tatum or Brown attacking off the dribble, Al Horford post ups, or even offensive rebounds, Boston was able to produce many high percentage looks around the rim yesterday. Only issue was that many of them rimmed out. Whether due to nerves or the physicality of the playoffs, these misses where uncharacteristic of Boston, and will need to be cleaned up.</p>
<p>Not only do these types of misses hurt the Celtics, but they directly aid Brooklyn. The Celtics’ defense has be phenomenal this season, but it is at its best when given a chance to set up and lock in.</p>
<p>Missing shots around the rim lead to easier transition looks for the Nets, something that you certainly don’t want to give them. The Celtics are not a bad transition defensive team by any means, but finishing around the rim will help them control the pace of the game.</p>
<p>On top of misses around the rim, the Cs shot a bit under their season average from the FT line. Uncharacteristic misses from players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to be eradicated in Game 2. Converting on free throws, while simple, is a massive key to victory in the playoffs.</p>
<p>The Celtics made big plays on offense when it counted, but erasing some of the small unusual mistakes will be important for winning on Wednesday.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/19/keys-boston-celtics-win/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Key to Victory #2 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot oaver Andre Drummond #0 of the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter of Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on April 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3 keys to a Game 2 win for the Boston Celtics: Control the transition game</h2>
<p>For the Celtics to maintain their success against Brooklyn, controlling the tempo and getting out in transition will be key. The Celtics have proven to be elite defensively, yet against the Nets in Game 1, there were certainly errors that could be corrected.</p>
<p>For example, I remember three distinct moments in which miscommunications led to wide open Kevin Durant transition threes. Two of these shots came in the fourth quarter, but luckily for the Celtics ,he missed the more important of the two.</p>
<p>The Celtics’ transition defense needs to be improved in this series. The way the Boston defense has been constructed, makes it very hard to pick on particular matchups in the half court, thus many of Brooklyns best looks came in transition.</p>
<p>On the opposite side of the ball, the Celtics must improve their shot selection in transition opportunities. In many instances, the Celtics rushed their offense and took threes in transition rather than utilizing their numbers advantage.</p>
<p>By controlling the pace, the Celtics will challenge the lackluster Brooklyn defenders to contest in space. They can also force Brooklyn to play at their pace, which will work in favor of Boston’s defensive strengths.</p>
<p>Cleaning up both their offensive and defensive transition game will be crucial in winning Game 2 on Wednesday.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/19/keys-boston-celtics-win/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Key to Victory #3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 17: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles downcourt against Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on April 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3 keys to a Game 2 win for the Boston Celtics: Trap/Double Kyrie Irving</h2>
<p>Celtics fan everywhere watched in horror as Kyrie Irving dropped a game-high 39 points in TD Garden on Sunday. He reached this accomplishment on incredible efficiency, and very nearly sent the Celtics home with a three-point dagger with under a minute to play.</p>
<p>Containing Kyrie is nearly impossible. However, I do feel that improvements int he Celtics defense could help. On multiple occasions, the Celtics offered Kyrie drop coverage (specifically when Daniel Theis was targeted in the P&R). On almost all of these occasions, Irving responded by calmly drilling the three. The Celtics <strong>cannot</strong> play Irving with drop coverage, and I suggest that they blitz these type of screens.</p>
<p>Especially without the incredible length and shot deterring of Robert Williams, the Celtics best option to contain Kyrie is to bring double teams often, and try to trap him in the P&R. Of course, you have to be careful to avoid getting burned by the roller (in the case of Brooklyn this is often Bruce Brown), but with the Celtics’ versatile defenders, I feel they can effectively double Irving. You don’t have to look any further than the Celtics final possession on Sunday for evidence of this.</p>
<p>Like I said, stopping Irving completely is almost impossible, but the Celtics cannot afford to give up another Kyrie Irving Master Class, as they barely survived the first one.</p>
<p>Like all fans of competitive basketball, I cannot wait for Wednesday night’s Game 2 between Brooklyn and Boston. If Boston is to come out on top however, I feel the three a</p>
<p>reas of improvement I referenced might be not only helpful, but necessary.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 reasons why Celtics will take down Nets in first round" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/18/boston-celtics-brooklyn-nets/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/19/keys-boston-celtics-win/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/18/boston-celtics-brooklyn-nets/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 reasons why Celtics will take down Nets in first round </a> </div>
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