Three Stars from Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat
With the Miami Heat on the second game of a back-to-back, and with both Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside out with injuries, everything appeared to be falling into place for the Boston Celtics. Instead, not only did everything fall apart, but for three quarters it was shattered into oblivion. The Celtics came out the gate looking as uninspired and disengaged as they have all season long. A turnover riddled offense and a defense giving up open shots and easy layups lead to an insurmountable 20-point deficit. The Celtics managed to find some sort of a spark in the fourth quarter thanks to Phil Pressey stepping up, but it was just too little too late. The much anticipated return of Isaiah Thomas could not have been more disheartening. Thomas had no pop or explosiveness to his game and was seen grimacing in pain on multiple occasions. With very little to be happy about the three stars is not a sight to behold for a Celtics fan.
Third Star
11 Points 5 Rebounds 6 Assists
Phil Pressey saw minimal playing time, as Thomas’ return held him to just 18 minutes on the court. Those 18 minutes were probably the best minutes of the game for the Celtics. While Pressey was one of four players in double digits he was the only one to do so with a positive +/-. Pressey is the main reason the Celtics managed to add a little excitement to a game that was thrown away after three quarters. Isaiah Thomas looked nowhere near ready to come back in a significant role, and if nothing else, Pressey continues to give Brad Stevens the confidence he needs in a backup point guard.
Second Star
12 Points 12 Rebounds 3 Steals
Haslem did what was necessary in the absence of Whiteside. He did nothing spectacular, but with a double-double on the game he gave the Heat the stability they required in the paint, at least for three quarters. Haslem was clearly a huge part of Spolstra’s plans with so many injuries, as his 38 minutes lead the team. While 12 points is nothing to get excited about, it was on the defensive side that Haslem had more of an impact. His 12 rebounds and three steals were both team highs.
First Star
22 Points 5 Rebounds 7 Assists
Goran Dragic came in and carried the load, as two of the Heat’s best players were on the sidelines. Dragic’s 22 points were a game high and were seven more than anyone else on his team. Dragic took advantage of a lazy Celtics defense as he continually got into the paint and scored on easy layups. He was efficient, with his 8-16 shooting, and perhaps more importantly, did his job in getting his teammates involved. While no one else had more than 15 points, his seven assists (tied for a team high) meant he was distributing the ball all over the place and is the main reason the Heat were able to establish a commanding 20-point lead.