Boston Celtics key to victory No. 2) Continue to dominate the paint
In the keys to a Game One win, we mentioned how the Boston Celtics needed to command the interior on both ends of the parquet. They did just that on Sunday afternoon, outscoring Steve Nash’s squad 56-32 in the paint.
That is nearly half of Boston’s points coming from the interior, a positive sign as the series progresses.
The Memphis Grizzlies finished the season leading the NBA when it came to points per game in the paint with 57.6. The shamrocks nearly outscored the team’s top paint offense in Game One and should look to do the same in Game Two.
Andre Drummond was pretty lackluster against Al and the C’s attacking the rim overall. Nic Claxton was a bit better than the former star, but still provided little resistance against the green and white’s attack.
Right out of the gates, Boston should continue their pursuit of the rim, facilitated by Smart, Brown, and Tatum.
Not only did Boston dominate the glass, but they also poured in one more 3-pointer than Brooklyn. The focus on attacking the rim has not sacrificed any scoring on the perimeter, so the C’s should not have trouble keeping up this pace with New York.