Boston Celtics: 4 things to look for in Game 2 against Brooklyn

The Boston Celtics are currently preparing for Game 2 against the Brooklyn Nets, hoping to come out strong and even the series at one game apiece. They’re for sure capable of doing it but it will take a full team effort, something fans did not witness in Game 1.

Both sides will likely be making adjustments for Tuesday’s bout so let’s try and predict some things to look for while (hopefully) enjoying the game.

Robert Williams’ minutes…

While it may have felt like Robert Williams needed to play more (which he did) he actually logged more minutes than his season average of 19 per game. For a reminder, Williams played 23 minutes on Saturday while starting center Tristan Thompson played 25.

It’s interesting to note that at Robert Williams’ peak this season, in early April while Thompson was also healthy, he was averaging a little over 25 minutes a game. Meanwhile, Thompson was at 22.

Obviously, with Williams playing with that turf toe injury, there are zero reasons to push him and risk further setbacks.

With that being said, if he is looking healthy I’d be interested to see if he eclipses the 30-minute mark, something he only did once in the regular season.

Now would be a perfect time considering the sizable gap in effectiveness between him and Thompson from Game 1.

Who steps up offensively out of Fournier, Tatum, and Walker…

Jayson Tatum does receive some slack considering he is the focal point of the Brooklyn defense and was constantly seeing multiple defenders wherever he went. What he won’t receive slack for is only taking six field-goal attempts in the second half.

While the All-Star did get to the free-throw line nine times like the great scorer he is, the Boston Celtics are going to need someone to step up when the Nets are going on a run. It will be up to Tatum and the Cs whether that means running more plays for him or Tatum himself just needing to work quicker.

Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker combined for 25 points on 8-26 shooting on Saturday. Walker had the foul trouble that threw off his rhythm but overall, both these guys were just missing shots.

If we dig deeper into the stats, we’ll find that Fournier and Walker combined to shoot 8-17 on uncontested shots, according to NBA.com. The contested shots on the other hand were abysmal as the pair shot 0-9 on those.

Expect both guys to regress positively and help out during Game 2’s scoring droughts.

How the 3-point battle unfolds…

The Boston Celtics were able to grow their lead in the first half in large part due to the difference in 3-point shooting for each team. The Celtics made 9-17 while the Nets struggled, only making 1-13 which is unusual for the high-powered offense.

Just like the lead though, the 3-point shooting flipped in the second half. The Cs were the ones struggling as they only made 2-13 while the Nets shot 7-21.

This entire topic can get pretty random from game to game relative to other stats.

The Boston Celtics will have to adapt on the fly depending on the circumstances but if the Nets continue to struggle from beyond the arc it will be in Boston’s best interest to do a better job capitalizing in Game 2.

One area we could see this is on the fast break. Misses on long-ball attempts tend to end up further from the hoop meaning a quicker outlet in transition.

Boston did outscore Brooklyn 12-6 in fast-break points during Game 1, but, the Cs could put more importance into this aspect for game two.

Who Wins the 3rd Quarter…

No matter what happens through the first 24 minutes of the game, how the Boston Celtics respond in the third quarter will be very important in determining the winner.

Brad Stevens has been established as a coach that usually makes good adjustments at the half that lead to a swing of momentum in Boston’s favor to start the second. But, as we saw in Game 1, Brooklyn came out and dominated the third quarter, ultimately outscoring the Cs 31-20.

After an 18-4 run by the Nets, the Celtics were able to cut the lead to three on a few occasions late in the third but slowly slipped further and further from that point on.

Obviously, every quarter is important in its own way, but how the Cs play coming out of halftime will set the tone for the rest of the second half.

In Game 1, it was Brooklyn who came out assertive and aggressive. It will be imperative that the Boston Celtics come out with a similar effort on Tuesday because, at the end of the day, Boston will have to outwork Brooklyn to have a chance in this series.