Celtics’ elevated defense put them in position to achieve the unthinkable

While the shots have been falling since Game 5, one thing is for sure, the Boston Celtics defense looks like it did throughout the second half of last season.

Backed into a corner after three rounds, the Boston Celtics have their eyes set on delivering one blow at a time to a team that was minutes away from knocking them out before they even knew what was coming.

As Rocky Balboa once said, “One step at a time, one punch at a time, one round at a time.”

The season was on the brink of being called a failure. What ignited the engine of the team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals had looked like it ran its course. Everyone knew the offense was special, and that was clear from day one. The Miami Heat had a sense of comfort when running their offense through the first three games of these Eastern Conference Finals, but since then, the men in green have taken it upon themselves to change that.

Forcing turnovers has never been a strength of Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics. During the regular season, the Celts were 26th in the association in forcing turnovers, and 27th in steals per game. With the pressure higher than it has been all season, Boston has dug deep. While Derrick White has struggled defensively throughout this series, he and Marcus Smart demonstrated why they are one of the best defensive backcourt duos in the association today. They combined for 10 deflections in Game 5 with the C’s No. 36 leading the team in total box outs with six. In Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3, White and Smart accounted for just nine deflections. Those hustle plays matter, and in the last two meetings between these two sides, the Boston backcourt has brought it.

The Boston Celtics have collected 22 steals and pressed the Heat into 32 giveaways in the last 96 minutes of basketball. It was just the second time in the playoffs since 2017 that the Cs as a team accumulated 13 or more steals in a single game. Mistakes happen throughout a halfcourt offense, but the Celtics are forcing Miami into decisions we simply did not see in the first three contests of this series. From the first possession in Game 5, Boston was getting after it on the defensive end as the Heat worked for every bucket in the halfcourt.

The Boston Celtics awakened physically in Game 5

From out of nowhere, the Boston Celtics have brought a level of physicality against the Miami Heat that they simply have not been able to match the past two games.

In both Games 4 and 5, the Cs have looked like determined dogs fighting for a bone they know is rightly theirs. Boston is picking up the Heat much higher up the floor, making them work for any sort of space on the offensive end. The C’s ball pressure made the Heat hesitant offensively, propelling them into making poor decisions. Hardly ever did Bam Adebayo have the luxury of being able to play one-on-one in the post and around the free-throw line. Adebayo tied a career-high in turnovers in the playoffs with six, bringing the ball down where the help from the perimeter could come and start the transition offense the other way.

Thursday night was the 21st time since 2016 that the south beach side piled up 15 or more giveaways in a single postseason contest. Defending without fouling has been key for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston has created turnovers by way of its active hands and sheer relentlessness whenever an opponent exposes the ball while keeping its opponent off the charity stripe.

The intensity of Mazzulla’s men has ramped up more than just a notch. The hill is still quite a large one to climb, but it has been evident that whenever this team faces adversity, their quality of play takes a jump. Anyone can speak on the number of shots from beyond the arc that Boston has knocked down, but those looks are only created because of the energy on the other end of the floor.

Just when the identity looked to be lost for good, the men in green resurrected it. Jimmy Butler guaranteed a triumph on Saturday night meaning the Heat are going to throw their biggest punch yet in Game 6 back on their home floor. Even when the shots are not falling, Boston must not let that impact their defense.

Butler and his Miami team have been sensational, just like the Boston Celtics, from bouncing back this postseason. It is all about consistency, and if Mazzulla’s team can bring this punishing defense to the Sunshine State, they could very well be just the fourth ball club to force a Game 7 after going down 0-3.