Three takeaways from Celtics’ dominant Game 2 win over 76ers

By Kurt HelinMay 3, 2023, 11:55 PM EDT

Philadelphia won Game 1 with the league MVP in street clothes.

Boston dominated Game 2 despite its best player — the guy fourth in the MVP voting this season — barely making an impact.

Welcome to the NBA Playoffs, where little makes sense but we know the Celtics have evened their series with the 76ers after a 121-87 blowout win. Here are three takeaways from Game 2.

1) Celtics remind everyone what a force they are when focused, defending

“They pressured us, they denied us, they played in our air space all game,” was how Doc Rivers described the Celtics’ defense (while adding his team needs to move the ball more).

The Celtics had the second-best defense in the NBA this season, but they haven’t brought that to the arena every night during the playoffs. They did on Wednesday night, holding the 76ers to less than a point per possession (92.6 offensive rating for the competitive portion of the game, via Cleaning the Glass).

Doc Rivers credited Jaylen Brown for setting the tone, being physical and leading a defense that often picked up James Harden and other 76ers ball handlers before halfcourt. Marcus Smart was a big part of that as well. The energy and defense threw the 76ers off, and they shot just 39.2% for the game, including 6-of-20 from 3.

Defense leads to offense pic.twitter.com/0kzQqo0y00

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 4, 2023

That defense was a sign the Celtics were focused — something they were not in two of the last three games (Game 5 vs. Atlanta and Game 1 of this series). Boston’s focus and game plan discipline have been an issue going back to last season.

“I think we just gotta take more pride in ourselves,” Brown said postgame. “I felt like we underperformed last game and we wanted to come out and play to the best of our ability.”

2) Jaylen Brown sparks the offense — and gets plenty of help

If you had told me before the game Jayson Tatum had seven points on 1-of-7 shooting, I’d have wondered if there was any way for the Celtics to come back from being 0-2 down.

Instead, Boston showed off its depth of scoring options, knocking down 21 3-pointers on 51 attempts (39.2%). Boston won scoring behind the arc in this game by 42 and (unlike the Lakers) the 76ers couldn’t make up that ground. Even Grant Williams — who spends an inexplicable amount of time in Joe Mazzulla’s dog house — got into the act and scored a dozen.

It all started with Jaylen Brown, who had 25 in the game.

Jaylen Brown (25 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL) with a strong performance as the @celtics take Game 2!

The series shifts to Philadelphia tied at 1-1 🍿

BOS/PHI Game 3: Friday, 7:30pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/gswttKOMhy

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2023

Malcolm Brogdon can have serious tunnel vision when he plays, but when he is scoring like this — 23 points, 6-of-10 from 3 — it works.

Malcolm Brogdon is on fire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/M3ltEEl7Ii

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 4, 2023

Marcus Smart finished the game with 15 points but that undersells his contributions. In the first half he was critical for the Celtics hitting both timely 3s but also backing down De'Anthony Melton for post buckets, and playing DPOY on-ball defense.

3) Joel Embiid looked good for the first half, faded later

Joel Embiid said he felt “pretty good” physically after the game. And there were stretches where he played pretty well, particularly on defense.

Despite clearly being bothered by the brace, Embiid made his presence felt on defense early on with five first-half blocks.

The D in Embiid stands for defense. pic.twitter.com/T2E1ImNopk

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 4, 2023

However, he faded as the game went along and his being slowed was part of the third-quarter run by the Celtics that ended the game. In the second half other Sixers players had to cover for him, which led to Boston getting too many clean looks.

The struggles of the 76ers’ offense added to the team’s problems because it let Boston get out in transition.

Doc Rivers has some adjustments to make before Game 3, but for the 76ers it will have to start with matching Boston’s intensity (if the Celtics’ bring that intensity again).

Tobias not making any excuses for an ugly Game 2 | @Nissan pic.twitter.com/EfZXR1Gptu

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 4, 2023

Watch Derrick White putback force Game 7 as Celtics edge Heat

By Kurt HelinMay 27, 2023, 11:48 PM EDT

What. A. Game.

In the best game of these playoffs — as good as one in any postseason — it looked like the Miami Heat were going to get a culture win on a night their star Jimmy Butler was off his game until the final minutes. Three Butler free throws with :03 remaining put the Heat up by one, but the Celtics got one last chance. Marcus Smart short-armed that chance, but Derrick White was hustling along the baseline.

DERRICK WHITE SAVES THE CELTICS SEASON. pic.twitter.com/566F29RWEV

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 28, 2023

Miami gets the 104-103 win to even the series 3-3 and force a Memorial Day Game 7 back in Boston.

This was the kind of ugly, gritty game the Celtics tend to give away. They were certainly not at their peak in this one, shooting 7-of-35 from 3 as a team — usually a stat that leads to a loss for this Celtics team, which leans into the 3-pointer.

What saved them was a brilliant first half from Jayson Tatum, some solid play from Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart in the second half, and an off night at the worst time for the Heat stars.

The first half was the Tatum show as he scored 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting, with 11 free throws and a couple of assists. He was attacking and aggressive, and the rest of the Celtics offense flowed off that and they got the lead up to 11.

However, the Heat closed that lead down to four at the half, 57-53, thanks largely to 9-of-15 shooting from 3.

This was almost a culture win for the Heat. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were not the stars the Heat needed — they shot a combined 7-of-35 until the final minutes of the game — but the Miami role players stepped up. Caleb Martin got the start over Kevin Love and was the Heat’s best player on the night with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting plus 15 rebounds. Gabe Vincent returned from his sprained ankle to score 15, Duncan Robinson had 13 off the bench, and Max Strus added 10.

With their stars off their game the Heat struggled to score in the third, starting the quarter shooting 5-of-24 (20.8%), yet by the time the quarter was over the Heat were still only down seven. Miami was hanging around in a game they should have been blown out of.

That’s because the Celtics shot 5-of-25 from 3 through 3 quarters, plus Boston had 11 turnovers through three (compared to four for the Heat).

Tatum finished with 31 points to lead Boston, Jaylen Brown had 26 despite battling foul trouble all night, and Marcus Smart added 21.

Boston had a 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but gave it away with missed shots and sloppy play under pressure. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler hit a big 3-pointer, kept attacking, and got to the free throw line with the chance to put his team ahead in the final seconds. And did. It looked like a classic, gutty, Heat culture win.

And then Derrick White happened.

And now there is a Game 7.

Milwaukee Bucks reportedly to hire Adrian Griffin as head coach

By Kurt HelinMay 27, 2023, 2:43 PM EDT

Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images

Buzz had been growing for a week that Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin was the favorite Bucks coaching candidate of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nick Nurse had his backers in the organization, but in a superstar-driven league, the wishes of players like the Greek Freak hold a lot of sway (especially with him up for a new contract in a couple of years).

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly hiring Griffin as their next head coach, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

ESPN Sources: The Milwaukee Bucks are planning to hire Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin as the franchise’s next head coach. Sides are progressing on terms of an agreement. pic.twitter.com/Kz1iydRKsF

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 27, 2023

This reaction from Fred VanVleet should tell you all you need to know about how the Raptors players felt about Griffin.

Well deserved 🔥🔥🔥 @NBACoachGriffin yeah griff!!!!! https://t.co/neijpk0ma6

— Fred VanVleet (@FredVanVleet) May 27, 2023

This hire is a gamble by the Bucks, turning the keys of a contender over to a rookie coach, but Griffin is more than deserving of a shot. Griffin spent eight years as a role player in the NBA — after going undrafted out of Seton Hall hand having to play in the Philipines — and then got into coaching, starting as an assistant in Milwaukee from 2008-2010. Griffin is seen as a defensive-first coach with a strong player development background (he worked with Jimmy Butler in Chicago). He’s been at or near the top of the “guys who deserve a shot” list for years and was in consideration for the open Raptors job in Toronto.

Instead, he now takes over a contender, although with a roster that is getting older and more expensive fast (free agent center Brook Lopez turns 35 this year, Khris Middleton is 31 and has a $40.4 million player option, Jrue Holiday is 31 and extension eligible come the fall).

Griffin will replace Mike Budenholzer, who was let go despite winning a championship with this team in 2021. Budenholzer is a process guy and was considered too rigid and slow to make adjustments in the playoffs, and this year’s first-round elimination by the No. 8 seed Miami Heat was seen as the culmination of that (even though Antetokounmpo missed two games due to a back injury). Griffin will bring a different voice and some new looks to a Bucks team still in its championship window.

Don’t be surprised if the Bucks hire a former NBA head coach to be Griffin’s lead assistant, to give him a veteran voice as a sounding board.

Nurse had been considered one of the frontrunners for this job, but now looks like someone destined to land in Philadelphia or Phoenix.

Heat guard Gabe Vincent reportedly to play in Game 6

By Kurt HelinMay 27, 2023, 2:07 PM EDT

Officially, Heat guard Gabe Vincent is listed as questionable for a critical Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night. He missed Game 5 due to a sprained ankle suffered late in Game 4 but was a partial participant in Saturday’s shootaround, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

However, a report from Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports points to what everyone expects: Vincent will play in Game 6.

Gabe Vincent is expected to play for the Miami Heat in Game 6 after sitting the Game 5 loss with an ankle injury, league sources tell @YahooSports. He was listed as questionable on yesterday’s injury report.

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) May 27, 2023

Miami needs him back if they are going to win Game 6 at home and end this series (the Heat lead the series 3-2).

Not just because Vincent has averaged 17.5 points per game this series, but because of his ball handling and shot creation. In the second half of Game 4 and through Game 5, the Celtics changed their defensive game plan, becoming aggressive at jumping passing lanes, bringing doubles on drivers, and trying to force turnovers. During the regular season the Celtics were a bottom-five team in forcing turnovers by design — they bet that their impressive one-on-one defenders could make shots difficult and so off-ball defenders largely stayed home on guys off the ball and didn’t take risks. That changed and Miami struggled to adjust in Game 5, with Kyle Lowry — starting in place of Vincent — having three costly early turnovers.

Vincent back in the lineup could help counter the Celtics’ defense. Miami also needs great games from Jimmy Butler (who looked tired in Game 5) and Bam Adebayo, who also had an off game in Boston.

The Heat want no part of a Game 7, they need to close this series out Saturday night. They need Vincent to do that.

Coaching carousel update: Nick Nurse has strong, not universal, support in Milwaukee

By Kurt HelinMay 27, 2023, 11:13 AM EDT

Five open coaching jobs remain around the NBA: Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons.

Here is the latest on the searches to fill those openings.

UPDATE: The Milwaukee Bucks will hire Adrian Griffin as their new head coach.

—————————–

• Nick Nurse may be the first domino to fall with him having drawn interest from the Suns, Bucks and 76ers. Nurse has strong support in Milwaukee, but it’s not universal, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

So it’s worth noting that, as of earlier this week, Nick Nurse’s candidacy had strong support within the organization. Though not all key stakeholders in Milwaukee were aligned on Nurse, per SNY sources.

• Nurse has interviewed in Phoenix as well. Their top target was current Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, according to multiple reports, but Begley reinforces what has been reported here at NBC Sports and other places: The Clippers are not expected to part ways with Lue. Even if they do, the Clippers will not let their coach walk to a division rival in Phoenix.

• Momentum appears to be building behind Suns’ assistant coach Kevin Young getting a promotion in Phoenix, with Marc Stein reporting he got a key endorsement.

Word is Young, who has also interviewed for the head coaching vacancies in Milwaukee and Toronto, has received a strong endorsement from Suns star Devin Booker.

• It would be risky to put a first-time head coach in charge of a contender in Phoenix. If new owner Mat Ishbia goes that route, look for the Suns to get a former NBA head coach to be his assistant (don’t be surprised to see that in Boston next season as well, where Joe Mazzulla is expected to remain as coach).

• Nurse, former Nets’ head coach and current Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin remain the finalists for the Bucks head coaching job. Stein reports Giannis Antetokounmpo is “intrigued” by Griffin.

• Toronto’s coaching search could be influenced by which direction team president Masai Ujiri decides to take the roster, something else up in the air. From ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip Real GM).

“In talking to folks that have been in touch with the Raptors recently, the Raptors don’t seem to know which direction they’re going to take. Whether or not they are going to focus on re-signing Fred VanVleet, extending Pascal Siakam, potentially making other roster upgrades. Or whether or not they’re going to send Fred VanVleet in a sign-and-trade, maybe investigate moving other players be it OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam.”

• Multiple reports have Bucks’ assistant Charles Lee and former UConn coach Kevin Ollie as the frontrunners to be the next head coach in Detroit. Pistons’ ownership reportedly backed the Brinks truck up to Monty Williams’ house but he was not interested, Stein reported. The buzz has been that GM Troy Weaver is backing Ollie.

• The only coaching vacancy filled so far this offseason is Ime Udoka taking the job as the Rockets’ head coach.

1) Celtics remind everyone what a force they are when focused, defending

2) Jaylen Brown sparks the offense — and gets plenty of help

3) Joel Embiid looked good for the first half, faded later

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