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Celtics Need Veterans to Step Up and Pave the Road Against Cleveland

By Devon Clements

BOSTON, MA - MAY 15: Marcus Smart #36 and Marcus Morris #13 of the Boston Celtics exchange handshakes during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 15: Marcus Smart #36 and Marcus Morris #13 of the Boston Celtics exchange handshakes during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics need their veterans to set the tone in game five back at home

Blame it on age, inexperience, flat starts, or whatever helps you sleep at night after seeing the Boston Celtics lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

All of the aforementioned reasons are legitimate excuses to fall short on the road in the postseason, but I am not going to sit here and blame the young studs on Boston’s squad for the team’s inability to win on the road against Cleveland.  

While their play has been drastically inconsistent depending on what court the game is taking place on, the weight and pressure falls on leadership and coaching to break the spell the Celtics have found themselves under this postseason, going 9-and-0 at home while having a weary 1-and-6 record on the road.

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Game plans and speeches by Brad Stevens will only go so far, which leaves it to the veterans of the Celtics to sit in the driver’s seat when they are struggling, and will the team to a victory when Boston is not playing in the comfort of the TD Garden.

That has not been the case for the Celtics thus far this series.

If you look at the Celtics roster, there are three players that not only have 3+ years of experience in the NBA, but have also under performed offensively in the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals despite averaging over 25 minutes on the floor: Al Horford, Marcus Morris, and Marcus Smart.

Let’s looks at each of these players stats from the last two games:

Horford – Game 3: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists (50% FG, four shot attempts)

              Game 4: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist (38% FG)

Morris –   Game 3: 9 points, 5 rebounds (25% FG)

              Game 4: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist (50% FG)

Smart –   Game 3: 7 points, 6 assists (22% FG)

              Game 4: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers (25% FG)

All three of these players have done what they can defensively, but defense has not been the reason Boston returns home for Game 5 with the series now tied at 2-2. It is the offensive inconsistencies this team seems to find when they travel that has given the Cavaliers life in what seems to be the Celtics series to lose just a week ago.

If the Celtics want to win of the road, it won’t be up to Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, or Brad Stevens, but it will be up to the veteran players on the team who have been in this situation before.

They know they Celtic way, how to not give up without a fight and what it’s like to play on the road against LeBron James and company in the postseason. They control the momentum for Boston, and they will be the deciding factors for the upcoming games in the postseason.

Next: 3 things that went wrong in Cleveland

Let’s hold them accountable.

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