With what seems like a month off between games two and three,  the Celtics have some time to regroup and hopefully put forth a better effort against a Miami Heat team looking for the knockout blow.

Injury Updates:

Paul Pierce has been labeled with what the team is calling a strained left Achilles. Pierce left the game but was able to return and by all accounts should able to go on Saturday night.

Ray Allen took a LeBron elbow to the chest and missed a few minutes. The injury does not appear to be serious although it did impact his breathing during the game.

Rajon Rondo could not get it going yesterday due to a stiff back that would not loosen up over the course of the game. Back injuries are tricky and we’ll know more as the week progresses.

Shaquille O’Neal missed Tuesday’s game as earlier expected and will once again practice leading up until game three and will be a game time decision as usual.

Notes:

Rajon Rondo was 6-of-8 from the free throw line in game two.

LeBron James scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half.

Do we still think conceding the second seed was the right play?

Jeff Green was the only Celtic in double figures at half time.

Speaking of which, has Jeff Green arrived? 11 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes would seem so.

Does anyone else find it funny that the younger Rajon Rondo is the one with the back injury?

The Heat have scored 35 points off turnovers in two games.

Kevin Garnett scored 16 points but needed 20 shots to do so.

Since 2007, the Celtics have never been down 2-0 in a playoff series.

Doc Rivers on the Rajon Rondo injury: “I don’t know why it was bothering him. but it was bothering him this morning. It was bothering him throughout the game, too, and at one point he was asking to come out because it got tight. It was at the beginning of the fourth quarter. He needed to come out.”

Troy Murphy has played three minutes this post season grabbing one rebound.

The Celtics Big Three counted for 36 points, The Heat Big Three counted for 80.

The Big Three free throw attempts margin is much worse with the Heat holding the 32-to-4 advantage.

Paul Pierce’s 33 minutes played in game two put him into seventh (4,259) in franchise history passing Dennis Johnson (4,258).

Krstic, who has been out with a bruised right knee since March 31st, is less likely to suit up should he have a set back during the Tuesday morning shoot around.  A fate most Celtic fans would accept considering the original fear was that the injury was thought to be a season ending one.

Troy Murphy, out since March 23rd with an ankle sprain, was able to move more freely during practice and should be able to suit up and provide the C’s with some much needed support in the front court.

Said head coach Doc Rivers regarding Murphy: “If he can play, we’ll play him. Again, we’ve got to make sure. He went through the whole practice, and you never know what happens overnight with an ankle and swelling and all that.”

Side note, the Celtics were able to practice 14 of their 15 players with Shaquille O’Neal as the lone Celtic sitting out. Not bad considering the amount of injuries the team has had to deal with over the last few weeks.

One would have to feel better about the state of the second unit and what they bring to the table, but will this be enough? At last week’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Celtics had an extended run with Jeff Green, Troy Murphy, Carlos Arroyo, Nenad Krstic and Sasha Pavlovic as they looked to erase a 20 point deficit to the lowly Clippers. All five on the floor where either on other teams or watching the NBA from their sofa a few weeks earlier. The Celtics need to get these players plenty of opportunities for minutes down the stretch as they are a KG turned ankle away from being a starter expected to put up big numbers.

What do you think?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.