“The first play on defense, where (Marcus) Smart dives on the floor, gettin’ up on transition, that was contagious,” Tatum said.
[That was the key. The Bam turnover to start the game set the tone.]
As if to illustrate their mettle — again, Tatum said it all began with Smart diving the floor — the Celtics outscored the Heat 17-7 on second-chance points.
…Boston’s swarming defense, its balanced offense, or a determination not to let this one slip away. Vincent’s absence doesn’t explain Smart diving onto the parquet just seconds into the game. Vincent’s absence doesn’t explain those back-to-back, nothing-but-net 3-pointers from the corner by Smart.
[All true from my reading of the game. Boston's defense was maniacal, forcing turnover after turnover; their offense was clicking such that the "Heat" would look up and that three was not from Hatem but from green white, not from the veep but from not so smart; they were everywhere and nowhere and all were making baskets. "Determination": WILL. The "Celtics" wanted G4 more than Miami did, I saw that with my own eyes. I strongly presume from this description and my own read that they wanted G5 more as well. It bothered me that the "Heat" were outwilled. They never took their foot off the pedal in the Beer and Nix series. It isn't who this team is to take a lap and throw a game away thinking they have three chances to close out. I worry about the ability to flip that switch on and off.]
But while there are a million basketball reasons why the Celtics have won two straight games, it’s time to turn, once again, to that now-famous “galvanizing” meeting that took place in Miami the night after the Celtics embarrassed themselves in Game 3.
Everything has changed since then. Whatever happens from here on out, it can be rightly said the Celtics got their dignity back as a result of that meeting.
Brown said as much with this comment: “Just being together in moments of adversity, staying on the same page and sticking with it, doubling down on things that we need to do better, holding each other accountable, has been the key. Once we got ourselves together we all looked each other in the eyes and said, ‘We not goin’ out like this.’
What’ll be needed, though, are books, documentaries, special sections and guest hits that are devoted solely to that meeting Monday night in Miami.
[Pencils have a need to find lore. I'm suspicious every time they do it. We need "books" and "documentaries" about that meeting. No.]
