The Boston Celtics entered the first round of this year’s NBA Playoffs as the odds-on favorites to win the title. They boasted an Association-best 64-18 regular-season record.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were among the best tandems in the NBA. Adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to the mix only completed this team even more.
Front office head Brad Stevens did work to build up this roster after last season’s loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
About that?
Boston made absolutely quick work of the Heat in the first round, winning in five games. The only set back was Miami’s comeback win over the Celtics in Boston back in Game 2.
Outside of that, it was complete and utter domination. Joe Mazzulla’s squad destroyed Miami in Game 5 by the score of 118-84. They were up 18 points after the first quarter and didn’t look back.
Sure, it was not a fair fight. Miami was without star wing Jimmy Butler for the entire series. Fellow perimeter option Terry Rozier also didn’t suit up. Even at full strength, the Heat were going to have a hard time competing with a vastly superior team.
Even then, Boston should scare the collective crap out of remaining NBA Playoff teams. Here’s three reasons why.
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No Kristaps Porzingis, no problem for the Boston Celtics
Porzingis missed Game 5 after suffering a calf strain in the previous outing. Indications are that the big man will miss several games before he’s able to return.
The 7-foot-2 veteran was stout in his first regular season with the Celtics, averaging 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds on 38% shooting from distance.
Most figured that Boston would miss what he brings to the table both in the low-post and out on the perimeter. That was not necessarily the case in Game 5 against Miami.
Veteran Al Horford got the start in Porzingis’ stead Wednesday night. The former All-Star was solid throughout (eight points, six rebounds, three assists).
Luke Kornet also saw increased action. While he didn’t put up great numbers, Boston finished plus-21 in his 18 minutes of action. Even going just eight deep Wednesday, the Celtics’ depth showed up.
Well-rested Boston Celtics team
Boston now awaits the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic first-round series back east. Cleveland boasts a 3-2 lead with Game 6 back in Orlando on Thursday.
The interesting dynamic here is that the home team has won each game. With Orlando set to host Game 6, there is a decent chance that this one will go the distance. If so, Game 7 would be on Sunday.
This means that the earliest Boston would open its conference semifinals series would be Tuesday — giving the team nearly a week of rest. That will certainly help the likes of Porzingis get healthy for the stretch run of the playoffs. That’s not good for either Cleveland or Orlando.
Related: Boston Celtics standing in Sportsnaut’s NBA Playoff power rankings
Jrue Holiday and the Celtics’ defensive prowess
A Jimmy Butler-less Heat team scoring just X points in Game 5 can’t be seen as too much of a surprise. But it must be noted that Boston’s elite-level defense had something to do with this.
Holiday’s overall numbers in his first season with Boston were down. But that had a lot more to do with Tatum and Brown being elite-level scoring options. Porzingis’ ability to average 20 points per game played a role here, too.
What we do know is that Holiday remains a catalyst on the other end of the court. The five-time All-NBA Defensive Team performer was one of five Celtics players to finish with a three-plus defensive win shares.
That group was led by Tatum (4.1) and an awe-inspiring Derrick White (3.3). Their ability to dominate as on-ball defenders out on the perimeter can’t go unnoticed. Adding Holiday as one of the best in the business in this regard simply made things coexist better.
We know about Boston’s star power. That’s about as obvious as it gets. But what we saw from this team as it dominated Miami in the first round should scare remaining NBA Playoff teams. Brad Stevens has built an absolute bully in Boston.