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Marc D'Amico

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Boston didn’t just beat the Miami Heat during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It annihilated them – at least for one night.

After a lackluster opening eight minutes of the game, Boston took complete control of the game over the final four minutes of the first quarter. The C’s closed the quarter on a 20-3 run after falling behind 21-15 out of the gates. That run provided them with a 35-24 lead heading into the second quarter, and Boston cruised to the winner’s circle from there.

Four Celtics combined to score those 20 points, the high majority of which were scored from beyond the 3-point line. Jaylen Brown and Grant Williams each canned two 3-pointers, and Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard each made one. Smart also put home two free throws to round out the 20 points.

Boston’s wave of momentum never slowed the rest of the night as it went on to pull ahead by as many as 34 en route to a 127-102 victory and a 1-1 series tie.

Boston is slightly better with Marcus Smart in the lineup, huh?

Marcus Smart returned from a one-game absence and was nothing short of magnificent during Boston’s Game 2 victory. He fell just one rebound shy of logging a triple-double after tossing 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds into the box score.

The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year logged a game-high 40-plus minutes and was outstanding across the board while he was on the floor. He canned five 3-pointers, three 2-pointers and three free throws on the night. He also tallied three steals and one blocked shot, all while Boston outscored Miami by 31 points while he was on the court.

Marcus Smart on how Boston's Game 1 loss benefited Boston

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 127, Heat 102

All was well in Celtics Land at halftime of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Not so much after the next 12 minutes were played.

Following an outstanding first half by Boston that led to an eight-point advantage, Miami bounced back and dominated the third quarter to turn the tide of the game and pull away for a victory.

The Heat outscored Boston 39-14 during the third period thanks to an ugly performance by the C’s at both ends. Boston shot just 2-for-15 from the field during the quarter while committing eight turnovers. Those eight turnovers led to 12 points by Miami.

While Boston struggled offensively, the Heat had no problems racking up points. They shot 11-for-22 from the field and a whopping 14-for-17 from the free-throw line during the quarter. To put that into perspective, Boston made 14 or fewer free throws during three of their previous five entire games.

The combination of Boston’s struggles and Miami’s exceptional play was a recipe for disaster for the C’s. Miami pulled ahead by 17 points heading into the final quarter, marking a 25-point turnaround during the third. The Heat went on to pull ahead by as many as 20 and remained in control until the final buzzer of a 118-107 victory.

Robert Williams returned Tuesday night from a four-game absence to log an outstanding performance during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Not only did he score 18 points, but he also grabbed nine boards during his 28-plus minutes of action.

Those 18 points from Williams marked his top scoring effort since way back on Dec. 22, when he scored 21 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. So Tuesday’s effort was not only his highest scoring effort in months, but it was actually his best scoring effort of the year. The big man shot a strong 6-for-8 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line to account for his points.

Williams’ nine rebounds trailed only Jaylen Brown’s 10 in the game. He also tallied two blocks and an assist.

Ime Udoka on the positives he takes from the Game 1 loss

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Keys to the Game: Heat 118, Celtics 107

Jayson Tatum picked up his fourth personal foul with 7:44 remaining in the third quarter of Sunday’s Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks. In the moment, it felt as if that foul had opened the door for Milwaukee to cut into its 10-point deficit. Instead, the Celtics added five points to their lead during Tatum’s absence and ran away with a win.

Boston, fueled by a balanced offensive attack and elite team defense, outscored Milwaukee 16-11 the rest of the quarter to carry a 15-point advantage into the fourth. Grant Williams was the star of the run – and the game – as he poured in eight points that included two 3-pointers. Derrick White scored three points, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford each scored two, and Marcus Smart added in one to round out the scoring for the Celtics.

Meanwhile, at the other end, the Bucks simply didn’t have enough to walk through that cracked doorway. They shot a woeful 4-for-13 from the field the rest of the quarter while Boston pulled away.

The C’s continued to pour it on during the final period as they pulled ahead by as many as 28 points before closing out the game – and the series – with a 109-81 victory.

You’re gonna hear plenty about Grant Williams after his epic Game 7 performance Sunday afternoon. So we’re gonna spread the love and give some to Marcus Smart.

Smart didn’t quite score 25 surprising points against Milwaukee like Williams, but he nearly logged a triple-double while helping to fuel the Celtics into the Eastern Conference Finals. Smart notched Boston’s only double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 assists to go along with seven rebounds during his 37-plus minutes of action.

This year’s Defensive Player of the Year also played a critical role in limiting Giannis Antetokounmpo to 25 points on 26 shot attempts at the other end of the court. Smart totaled one steal and one blocked shot on the night.

Ime Udoka on bouncing back from the Game 5 loss

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 109, Bucks 81

The Boston Celtics got an up-close-and-personal look at a career-defining performance back in 2012 when a superstar was playing a Game 6 on the road.

Friday night, they got another one. But this time, it was one they could celebrate.

Jayson Tatum did his best LeBron James impersonation during Friday’s Game 6 in Milwaukee by dropping a game-high 46 points to keep Boston’s title hopes alive. He not only scored those 46 to best James’ 45 back in 2012, but he scored 15 of them during the final period to send the series back to Boston all knotted up at three games apiece.

The key stretch of the game was controlled by Tatum from the 8:56 mark of the fourth to the 5:40 mark. Tatum scored 11 consecutive points for Boston across those four-plus minutes to match every big bucket the Bucks made at the other end.

Just before Tatum checked back in at the 9:37 mark, Milwaukee had sliced what was once an 18-point deficit all the way down to six. The pressure was on, and it felt like a repeat of Wednesday’s Game 5 meltdown by Boston was incoming.

Then Tatum checked in and made every clutch basket the C’s needed.

Tatum’s 11 straight points countered nine from Milwaukee, which allowed Boston to up its lead to eight following his 3-pointer at the 5:40 mark. Jaylen Brown then tacked on a 3-pointer 28 seconds left to give Boston a comfortable 11-point advantage heading into the final five minutes.

Boston maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way before completing a 108-95 victory.

It’s impossible to look in any direction other than Jayson Tatum’s for this slot following Game 6. He was nothing short of incredible.

The 24-year-old superstar outscored Giannis Antetokounmpo on a night when Antetokounmpo was borderline unstoppable. Tatum poured in a game-high 46 points, including 15 during the final period. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, scored 44.

Tatum rounded out his box score with nine rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. He logged all of those numbers while shooting an impressive 17-for-32 from the field, which included a 7-for-15 performance from downtown.

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 108, Bucks 95

When Giannis Antetokounmpo is at the free-throw line, you’ve got to secure the rebound.

The Boston Celtics did not do that when it mattered most, and that’s why they’re now staring down elimination as they travel to Milwaukee for Friday night’s Game 6.

Antetokounmpo was sent to the line with 14.2 seconds left in the game and with Boston leading by two after a foul by Grant Williams. The two-time MVP made the first attempt, but he failed to tie the game as he missed the second attempt off the front of the rim.

Boston did, in fact, box out, but it did not communicate as it attempted to secure the rebound. Both Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown converged on the ball and collided into one another, allowing the ball to bounce free and right into the hands of Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis. Portis then quickly tossed up a floater off the glass, and after rolling around the rim twice, it dropped through the net to give the Bucks a 108-107 lead with 11.4 seconds left.

The final score indicates that the Celtics did not score again from that moment on. Following a timeout, Marcus Smart drove to the basket and his shot was blocked by Jrue Holiday, who came over to help off of Jaylen Brown.

Holiday threw the ball off of Smart, retaining possession for Milwaukee, and Pat Connaughton went on to tack on two free throws with 5.9 seconds left to cap the game’s scoring.

Jaylen Brown put together an outstanding individual performance Wednesday night that nearly fueled the Celtics to a 3-2 series lead. He tied for the team high in both rebounds (eight) and assists (six), and he also poured in 26 points on an efficient 9-for-19 shooting night.

Brown was unquestionably Boston’s top offensive player in the game, and in particular, during the third quarter. He tallied 16 points during that frame alone by canning six of his 10 shot attempts.

Brown has now scored at least 26 points during three of the last four games of the series.

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Keys to the Game: Bucks 110, Celtics 107

Al Horford did so, so much Monday night. Enough that one could accurately claim that he single-handedly gave the Celtics an opportunity to even this series up at two games apiece.

His biggest play of the night, not coincidentally, also just so happened to be the play of the night.

Boston simply did not have its a-game during Game 4 but somehow stayed within shouting distance and never faded from the Bucks. Early on in the fourth quarter, it finally had a chance to tie the game thanks to Horford’s dominance.

The 15-year veteran hauled in a rebound off a missed layup by Jrue Holiday at one end and quickly got the ball to Marcus Smart to initiate a transition possession in the other direction. Horford set a trail screen for Smart and then popped to the right wing, where he then caught a pass from Smart. That’s where this play began to heat up.

Horford immediately threw a shot fake, which drew an aggressive close-out from Giannis Antetokounmpo. That close-out allowed Horford to attack the two-time league MVP off the dribble to his right.

Two dribbles later, Horford rose up for a wide-open, thunderous slam that tied the game up at 80-80 with 9:51 left on the clock. He also drew a foul on the play from Antetokounmpo as Milwaukee’s star attempted to block the monstrous slam from behind.

Horford, known for his post-dunk flexes, didn’t just flex after this slam. He screamed at the top of his lungs amid what bordered on being an out-of-body experience in the moment.

That play did tie the game, but more importantly, it ignited the rest of the Celtics. Every member of the bench flew out of their seat and onto the edge of the court. And every Boston player on the court truly began to believe and up their own respective games at that point.

The Celtics went on to outscore Milwaukee 36-28 the rest of the way while pulling ahead by as many as 10 points on multiple occasions. They finished off the night with a 116-108 victory to tie the series up at 2-2 while returning home-court advantage into their back pockets.

Al Horford was the savior. But Jayson Tatum was the king.

Tatum exploded for a monster double-double Monday night that consisted of 30 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. His point total also tied Horford for the top mark on the team, and he contributed five assists as well.

The star wing had scored only nine points at halftime before doubling that total during the third period. He then poured in 12 points during the fourth quarter alone, including a dagger of a 3-pointer amid a 5-for-6 shooting performance.

Tatum’s ability to join forces with Horford propelled Boston into the winner’s circle. There’s no question about that.

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 116, Bucks 108

You won’t see many endings more chaotic than the final seconds of Game 3 between the Celtics and the Bucks.

Boston trailed by 13 points heading into the fourth quarter but stormed back to take a 100-99 lead with 1:49 left in the game. Milwaukee answered with four straight points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday to pull back ahead 103-100 with 11.2 seconds left.

Boston used a timeout to draw up a play, and out of that timeout, Marcus Smart was fouled as he took control of a dribble hand-off and as he turned into a shot from long range. He was fouled in motion by Holiday, which could have set up a potential game-tying trip to the free-throw line. However, the referees determined that the foul did not occur in the act of shooting and that it was instead in the act of a rip-through move by Smart. As a result, Smart was afforded only two free throws instead of three with 4.6 seconds left on the clock.

Smart made the first, which set the table for the ensuing chaos. The Celtics quietly relayed to Smart that they wanted him to miss the second free-throw in an attempt to grab an offensive rebound and tie the game. So that’s exactly what Smart did.

The Defensive Player of the Year took control of the ball and shot a line-drive free throw off the backboard that then grazed the rim and created an offensive rebound opportunity for Boston. Just after the ball touched the backboard, Smart darted in toward the basket and somehow took control of the ball as it bounced back directly toward him. He came down with possession in the left side of the restricted area, and, after touching down to the ground, he tossed up a shot over the extended right arm of Antetokounmpo.

Smart’s shot nearly dropped through to tie the game, but it popped out and off the left side of the rim. Robert Williams then tried a tip-in that missed off the backboard, which provided Al Horford with a tip-in opportunity on the other side of the paint.

Horford’s tip bounced high off the backboard, and then off the inside of the front of the rim. It also nearly dropped through the rim, but it leaked out and back toward him as the final half-second of the game clock ticked down.

Horford once again extended his right hand up one for a third potential tip-in by Boston and this time, he tipped it off the backboard and through the net. Boston’s bench began to celebrate the fact that the team had just forced overtime, but it was soon ruled that time had run out just before the ball left Horford’s hands.

With that ruling, Milwaukee had officially outlasted the Celtics for a 103-101 win to take a 2-1 series lead.

Boston was in dire need of one of its role players stepping up with a massive performance Saturday afternoon, and Al Horford – per usual – answered the call.

The 15-year veteran put together one of the top playoff performances of his career by tallying 22 points, a game-high 16 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots during 39 minutes of action. He also nearly tipped in a shot at the buzzer to force overtime for Boston.

Saturday marked one of the top shooting performances of Horford’s season as well. Not only did he shoot 4-for-7 from long range, but he also shot 5-for-9 from inside the arc. Horford also did not commit a turnover while he as on the floor.

Marcus Smart on not being given three free throws after the final foul of the game

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Keys to the Game: Bucks 103, Celtics 101

Jaylen Brown set the tone for Game 2 right out of the gates. Brown, who struggled through a 12-point performance during Game 1, bounced back with a monster 30-point performance Tuesday night to lead Boston to a 109-86 victory.

He got in on the action from the opening tip – literally – as he fought for control following the jump ball to give the C’s the first possession of the game. He then scored the game’s first points on a pullup jumper, and he tallied seven of the team’s first nine points of the night overall.

Brown wouldn’t slow down from there, and neither would his Celtics.

The star guard continued to pour it on during the first half by tallying 25 points over the game’s first two quarters. His point total matched Boston’s lead at halftime, and the team’s advantage never dropped below 12 the rest of the night before it evened the series up at 1-1.

With Marcus Smart out of the lineup for Game 2, the Celtics were going to need someone else to step up to provide a boost at both ends of the court.  Tuesday night, that man was Grant Williams.

Williams came off the bench to lead all reserves with 21 points while shooting the lights out from long range. He canned six of his nine 3-pointers on the night, which is twice as many long-distance makes as Milwaukee’s entire team totaled (three). He shot 7-for-14 from the field overall on the night.

The versatile big man also served a critical role defensively against Giannis Antetokounmpo, and as a weapon on the glass. He checked Antetokounmpo throughout the contest and helped to limit the two-time MVP to an 11-for-27 shooting night. Williams also contributed five rebounds and two assists during his 35 minutes of action.