For the Boston Celtics, momentum is certainly on their side after an electric Game One win at the TD Garden this past Sunday.
In a game filled with excitement, nerves, and dramatics, the C’s clawed their way to a W and left the building with a 1-0 series advantage.
In the time that has passed since the Game One triumph, Marcus Smart has been named the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year. Smart is the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1995-96.
The sixth overall pick back in 2014 continued to shine on both sides of the floor on Easter, with his most notable play coming in the final seconds as the point guard passed up a 3-point attempt and found a cutting Jayson Tatum for the buzzer-beater to win it all.
The last-second basket capped off what was a terrific performance by Tatum, as he finished with 31 points, four rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Jaylen Brown was not too far behind as he posted 23 points on the afternoon.
Al Horford and Marcus Smart came up big for the shamrocks, each dropping 20 points.
The veteran big has continued to evade father time all season long, and it seems the week off has given him an extra jolt of stamina. The 35-year-old played 41 minutes in Game One, missing just five shots, and wound up grabbing fifteen boards.
The double-double by Al was the only double-double in the contest and his third of the month of April.
On the other side, Kyrie Irving posted a game-high 39 points and was one of four Nets with a positive plus-minus.
His co-star, Kevin Durant, had a rare inefficient scoring night as the wing shot just 9-for-24 from the floor. Boston has to be ready for KD to light it up on Wednesday, as it is highly unlikely that the former MVP will replicate his poor performance two games in a row.
The C’s are going to have to find a way to pull ahead, even if Durant plays up to his scorched-earth potential.
As Game Two approaches on Wednesday night, the shamrocks will look to hold on to the momentum and jump out to a commanding 2-0 series lead. Here are 3 keys that the C’s need to hone in on to snatch another win: