Three Keys To A Boston Celtics Victory In Game 5

2. Crash the offensive glass 

The main reason for Boston’s brutal ineffectiveness in the first two games of the series was their utter incompetence on the defensive glass. In Game 1, they allowed the Bulls to grab 20 offensive rebounds out of 44 possible offensive boards, seven alone which went in the direction of center Robin Lopez. In Game 2, the trend continued, as Chicago eased their way to a 14-point win on the heels of 12 offensive boards.

Once the series shifted cities, however, the Celtics decided to hand the Bulls a taste of their own medicine. In Game 4, the team held Chicago to just 10 second-chance points while posting 17 of their own. Despite receiving criticism throughout the season for their lack of rebounding prowess, Boston was actually effective at preventing teams for dominating on the offensive glass. They allowed just 10 second-chance points per game, the fifth-fewest in the NBA. The Celtics netted 15 second-chance points per night themselves, the 12th-highest mark in the league.

When Boston takes advantage of the offensive boards as they did in Game 4, it is a symbol of their involvement in the game, that they are setting an aggressive tone on the contest. They open up the door for a variety of momentum-boosting plays. In Game 4, this came in the form of shooting guard Gerald Green‘s rim-rattling slam at the beginning of the third quarter.

With Boston clinging to a 59-53 lead, Green’s attempt at a corner three-pointer clanged off of the front rim. However, defender Jimmy Butler ran directly past Green while closing out. This allowed Green to follow his shot, catch the carom in stride ten feet away from the rim, and stride to the basket for a deafening dunk over an onlooking Dwayne Wade.