The Boston Celtics managed to avoid being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals with a clutch win in Game 4. While Jayson Tatum led the way, the Celtics relied on the first proper team performance of the series to avoid crashing out.
However, they were far from safe. The Miami Heat still lead 3-1 and have three more chances to secure a showdown with the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler and the other leaders of the Heat squad shrugged off the loss and chalked it up to the unpredictability of the playoffs. “If anything, it will build momentum for us knowing that we have to play with a lot more energy,” Butler said. “We’ve got to play like our backs are against the wall. But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we’ve had to do things the hard way.”
The Celtics came out of the gate hot and lead by 15 at the end of the first. Every time the Heat scored, the Celtics would just re-establish the lead. While Miami didn’t let the game get away from them in the second, they still trailed by 17 at the half. The second half followed much of the same pattern, with the Heat never able to find a scoring run that would get them back in the game. The Celtics led by 18 heading into the final quarter. While the Heat were able to add some garbage time points, the game had long been over by that point. The Celtics sent the series back to Miami with a 110-97 victory.
It was an embarrassment of riches for the Celtics, with four starters scoring at least 20 points. Meanwhile, the Heat failed to even have one starter reach 20 points. However, the Heat are struggling to refind their rhythm with two key starters in Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro sidelined by injury. Duncan Robinson, who played 28 minutes off the bench, led the Heat in scoring with 18 points. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for 30 points. The other three Heat starters combined for 14. While the Heat still have two opportunities to close out the series, they need to find an answer for the reinvigorated Celtics offense.
This should have been the Celtics’ year. After falling to the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, the Celtics maintained their momentum and secured the second seed in the East ahead of the 2023 playoffs. With the first-seed Bucks crashing out in five games, that should have been the trigger for the Celtics to take over. However, the team missed multiple opportunities to close out the Hawks in the first round. Once again, they took an early lead against the Sixers in the second round, but eventually needed seven games to overcome their fierce rivals.
Things got even worse in the Conference Finals. The Heat took over from Game 1 and now the Celtics find themselves in a 3-0 hole. Malcolm Brogdon has been a key contributor throughout the playoffs. Against Miami, he has had less of an impact but is still averaging 10.7 points and 77.8% free-throw shooting. But nothing the Celtics have done has been enough to overcome the Celtics. Now facing elimination, Brogden has spoken out.
Brogdon Puts Celtics On Blast
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 21: Malcolm Brogdon #13 of the Boston Celtics drives against Gabe Vincent #2 of the Miami Heat during the second quarter in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on May 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“I think it’s teams that have a strong identity,” Brogdon said on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Game 4. “I think Miami is one of the teams, one of the few teams in the league — Miami, Denver, there are only a few of them — that have a really strong identity, and they play by it every single night. They’re super committed to it. And, for us, our identity has waned all year long. We’ve been trying to figure out who we are, because I think we’re such a great, talented scoring team, but when we don’t make shots, we got to rely on our defense, and our defense isn’t consistent every night. So, playing a team that’s very consistent and disciplined, we struggle.”
He continued. “We haven’t been consistently great defensively all year long, and that was the team’s identity last year,” Brogdon said. “I think that’s slipped away from us. We’ve had spurts where we’ve been great defensively, but not consistently. And, honestly, we’ve struggled in every series we’ve played. So, now we’re playing a team that’s playing as if they’re the best team in the league, and they’re just incredibly disciplined, incredibly consistent. And I think we’ve struggled with teams that are consistent on a possession-by-possession basis every night.”
Jimmy Butler taunted both Al Horford and Grant Williams during the Miami Heat’s blowout win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night. The two Celtics players had previously came at Butler during Game 2 of the series. In firing back on Sunday, Butler reused the same timeout taunt that Horford had done the game prior.
During Game 2, the Celtics had been leading the way in the 4th quarter when Grant Williams got in the face of Jimmy Butler. From there on, Butler dominated the matchup and lead the Heat on a clutch run to give them the victory.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 19: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat exchanges words with Grant Williams #12 of the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 19, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
“He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that,” Butler said of his altercation with Williams after Game 2. “I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more, it pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile, it does.”
As for Game 3, the Heat came away victorious in their return to Miami by a margin of 128-102. Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 26 points on 12-of-35 shooting “I don’t even know where to start,” Brown said after the game. “It’s an obvious letdown. I feel like we let our fan base, organization down. We let ourselves down. And it was collective. We can point fingers, but in reality, it was just embarrassing.” Check out Jimmy Butler’s celebration below.
With the win, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat improve to 3-0 in the series. They’ll look to close things out on their home floor on Tuesday night. If victorious, they’ll return to the NBA Finals for the second time in four years.
For the third time in four years, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are facing off for a place in the NBA Finals. Prior to 2020, the two teams had only ever had three playoff meetings. However, the rematch of a rematch just goes to show where these two franchises are at in their championship journeys.
For the Boston Celtics, a trip to the Conference Finals came after a back-and-forth series with the Sixers. However, 51 points from Jayson Tatum helped blow out Philadelphia in Game 7. Meanwhile, the Heat have been causing all sorts of trouble as an eight-seed. They knocked off the one-seed Bucks in the first round before downing the Knicks in six come the Conference Semis. This would be a masterclass battle between two hungry teams for a place in the NBA Finals.
A high-scoring first quarter saw the lead change hands 14 times, with Boston leading 30-28 at the break. With about 90 seconds left in the second, Boston had managed to stretch their lead to 13 and would go into the half up nine. But that’s when the Heat took over. Miami outscored Boston 46-25 in the third quarter, Up 12 entering the final period of play, the Heat would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. The Heat stole Game 1 at TD Garden, 123-116.
Jimmy Butler, aka Jimmy Buckets aka Playoff Jimmy, was once again vital for the Heat. Butler led all scorers with 35 points while adding 7 assists and 6 steals to the stat sheet too. Bam Adebayo was also key, dropping 20 points and leading the team in rebounds with eight. Furthermore, every Heat player who played at least 25 minutes scored at least 15 points. On the other side of the ball, Tatum led the Celtics with 30 points. Jaylen Brown also came close to a double-double, with 22 points and 9 rebounds. However, despite 30 points off the bench from Marcus Brogden and Derrick White, a consistent problem in the starting five was present again. Al Horford had 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. While the veteran center is not expected to be a points machine, it’s concerning in what will be a high-scoring series.
Twitter Reacts
A Marcus Smart pass to Al Horford for three makes me want to run through a wall
— Charlotte Wilder (@TheWilderThings) May 18, 2023
Celtics: *waiting for Joe Mazzulla to make in-game adjustment*
The Sixers were one game away from making their Eastern Conference Finals since 2001. They had edged the Celtics in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead after previously trailing Boston 2-1. All they needed was one more win. Going into a home-court Game 6, the Sixers were the slight favorites to win. However, they would need big performances from all their major contributors. MVP Joel Embiid couldn’t be expected to carry the load.
On the other hand, the 57-win Celtics were looking to stay alive. They had squandered a series lead through some bad shooting nights. They were staring down the barrel of elimination. Despite the powerhouse tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics were struggling to overcome the MVP-led Sixers.
Both teams forgot how to play basketball at various points during this ugly Game 6. The Celtics started hot, jumping out to a 15-3 lead in the first. However, the Sixers finally found the right gear and only trailed by seven at the end of the quarter. That lead remained for Boston at the half as both teams scored 21 in the second. A big third quarter for the Sixers saw them lead by two going into the final frame but that’s when they once again forgot how to play basketball. Putting up just 13 in the fourth, the Celtics were able to take back the lead to squeak out a 95-86 win.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey jointly led all scorers with 26 points. However, P.J. Tucker and Tobias Harris combined for just 10 points, which cost the Sixers greatly. Furthermore, Philly’s bench scored just 11 points. As for the Celtics, they were led by Marcus Smart’s 22. However, they also had two other scorers put up at least 17 each. Despite scoring just two points, Al Horford shook off his ice-cold Game 5 to put up 11 rebounds. The scrappy team effort gives the Celtics the chance to clinch on their home court. They can find the win, it will be the third time in the last five seasons that they have made it to the Conference Finals.
Twitter Reacts
The two best words in sports: Game. Seven.
Tatum knocks down four 3-pt FG in the 4th quarter to lift the Celtics over the 76ers.
The 2023 NBA playoffs are heating up as eight teams find themselves entrenched in the semi-conference finals. In the East, the fifth-seed New York Knicks are taking on the eighth-seed Miami Heat. On the other side of the Eastern bracket, the second-seed Boston Celtics battle against the third-seed Philadelphia 76ers. In the West, the first-seed Denver Nuggets are facing off with the fourth-seed Phoenix Suns. In addition, the other side of the Western bracket features the seventh-seed Los Angeles Lakers against the sixth-seed Golden State Warriors.
There is a uniqueness to this year’s NBA playoffs, as many of the final teams entered as lower seeds. Both the Lakers and Heat made the playoffs through the play-in tournament, and yet they have now positioned themselves to make a run at the championship. Because of this, predictions for the conference finals have been all over the place. As the semi-conference finals wrap up, here’s a look at our NBA playoffs 2023 predictions for the conference finals.
Knicks Vs. Heat
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Winner: Miami Heat
The Miami Heat currently hold a 3-1 lead against the New York Knicks and it is likely that the Heat will be able to hold onto this lead and advance. While the Knicks showed great improvement this year, in large part due to their free agency signing of Jalen Brunson, the Heat’s playoff experience has gotten the better of the Knicks in this series. New York impressed in their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Heat have been in full control of this series since Game 1.
With Jimmy Butler leading, the Miami Heat’s defense has suffocated the Knicks throughout the series. In Game 3, the Knicks only scored 86 points and have barely cracked the 100-point mark in most games. Along with this, the Heat’s mix of experienced veterans such as Kevin Love and Kyle Lowry and young newcomers such as Gabe Vincent and Max Strus has played their individual roles perfectly. Despite being the eighth seed, Miami has figured it out come playoff time. The Heat made the NBA Finals as a fifth seed in 2020, so Miami is no stranger to winning as an underdog. Although there’s no telling what the Knicks have in store, our NBA playoffs 2023 predictions for the semi-conference finals are leaning towards the Heat.
76ers Vs. Celtics
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
Perhaps the most competitive series so far has been between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. The 76ers recently won two straight and took a 3-2 lead heading into Boston for game 6. Led by MVP Joel Embiid and James Harden, the 76ers’ star power has been on full display throughout the series. While the Celtics’ own stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have also played well, it is the difference of Embiid that will propel the 76ers into the next round.
The MVP has scored 30 or more points in the last three games of the series and Boston has been unable to find a way to stop him. While it seems this series may go to game 7, with Embiid healthy, it appears the 76ers will be hard to beat twice in a row. Because of their crucial game 5 victory, the 76ers look to be in full control of the series. Barring injury, the 76ers look like they will win this one. It is difficult to count the Celtics out, but it is even harder to bet against Joel Embiid.
Lakers Vs. Warriors
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have been a curious case this year. Despite injuries and on-court struggles, much like the Heat, they found their rhythm at the right time. Both Anthony Davis and Lebron have played in top form throughout the playoffs. Along with this, mid-season acquisitions D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura have played significant roles in the Lakers’ late-season successes. While the Golden State Warriors are tough, a grueling seven-game series against the Sacramento Kings may have left the Warriors without much gas in the tank.
As the Lakers currently hold a 3-1 lead in the series, it seems that they will go on to win. Coming off a tough seven-game series, it appears that the Warriors do not have enough to overcome such a tall task. The Lakers’ offense has clicked all series and shows no sign of slowing down, as Lebron and AD combined for 50 points in game 4. The Lake Show will look to close out Golden State in the Bay Area in game 5.
Nuggets Vs. Suns
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Winner: Denver Nuggets
The Phoenix Suns overloaded their roster with a trade for Kevin Durant at this year’s trade deadline in hopes of winning an NBA Championship. However, behind Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets currently hold a 3-2 lead and look ready to finish the series. Jokic posted a triple-double in game 5 and it seems that the Nuggets are on the brink of playing in the conference finals. While the Suns have been impressive in this series, an injury to Chris Paul has significantly hurt Phoenix’s chances.
Role players such as Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Bruce Brown have been crucial for the Nuggets’ success and the entire team is executing at a high level, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Aside from game 1, each of the following games has been a shootout, and without Chris Paul, it will be difficult for the Suns to go bucket for bucket with the Nuggets. Much like Joel Embiid and the 76ers, it is difficult to bet against Nikola Jokic, especially when his team holds a 3-2 lead. Because of this, the Nuggets will finish off this series in the next few games and become one step closer to an NBA Championship.
As expected, everything has been left on the court in the Eastern Conference matchup between the Sixers and Celtics. After Philly took Game 1, the Celtics responded by jumping out to a 2-1 series lead. It’s pitted MVP Joel Embiid against some of his fiercest competition of the season as both teams tried to take one step closer to an NBA title.
May 7’s Game 4 was an overtime thriller. Despite the Sixers carrying a nine-point lead into the half, Boston was able to get themselves back into the game and end regulation at 107-107. The defenses ramped up in the extra period with the teams combining for just 17 points as the Sixers managed to scrap out a 116-115 lead to even the series. That would mean Game 5, hosted by Boston, would allow one team to control their own destiny.
Both teams had big performances in Game 5. Joel Embiid absolutely balled out for the Sixers, putting up 33 points and 7 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey wasn’t far behind him, scoring 30 and adding another 7 boards. Elsewhere, James Harden and Tobias Harris both put up double-doubles. However, the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum led all scorers with a 36-point double-double. His teammate Jaylen Brown scored 24. However, Tatum and Brown didn’t have the depth to rely on like the Sixers. The only other Celtic to reach double digits was Marcus Smart. Al Horford in particular had an awful night, playing just 25 minutes and going 0-for-7 on shots.
The lack of depth contribution from the Celtics cost the team dearly. Boston held the lead once in the entire game and trailed from the 90-second mark onwards. They were outrebounded by 13 and were unable to find answers for Philly at either end of the court. If the Celtics don’t want to see their season end in Philadelphia, they need to find and new strategy and fast. The potentially series-ending Game 6 takes place at Wells Fargo Center on May 11. ESPN analytics give the Sixers the end, while oddsmakers back Boston as slight favorites.
Sports broadcasting is always trying new things. Sometimes these things work, such as the NFL’s Skycam. Other times, it takes a while for things to catch on, such as Fox‘s Cletus the Football Robot. There has also been the revelation of spring football leagues, where new tech is often trialed. The USFL has previously introduced innovations like helmet cams.
Basketball is a difficult sport to film, given the much smaller court and the need for quick and frequent transitions. In the past, broadcasters such as ABC have utilized a high-angle, track-mounted cam to be able to follow the action. But in Game 2 of the Sixers-Celtics series, TNT debuted a quadcopter drone to fly over the game at various points. Safe to say, people do not like this.
The drone cam footage, which obviously can only do so much given it’s about 10 feet off the ground and can’t get too close to the action, is just kind of weird. It gives the game an uncanny valley, NBA 2K-esque look. It doesn’t feel like you’re actually watching a basketball game. Even worse, you don’t even get to play the fake video game you’re watching. Furthermore, the footage is not of the same quality as the HD TV broadcast, making it jarring to switch between the two. While it’s kind of neat to see drone technology like this, what’s it really adding to the experience?
The general consensus on social media was that everyone hates the drone. This is mostly because it doesn’t add anything to the experience, and also looks bad. One Twitter user posted a picture of Hitchbot with the comment “When they try that drone came in Philly”. Hitchbot was a hitchhiking robot that successfully hitchhiked coast-to-coast in Canada. They tried the same experiment in the US, and Hitchbot was brutally murdered as soon as he reached Philadelphia. Another user expressed their sympathy for the media team, who presumably had the drone cam forced upon them. Again, drone cam sounds fun in theory but in practice, is a superfluous novelty that doesn’t actually add anything to the viewing experience.
After missing the past two games, Joel Embiid was finally able to return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had managed without him in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, largely thanks to James Harden. Harden had put up 45 points to steal a road win in Boston. However, the Sixers needed Embiid back on the court to stand a chance at weathering the Boston storm long-term.
However, the Sixers’ Game 1 win put the team in a good position. Rather than utilize Embiid to play catch up on their Eastern Conference rivals, they could use their MVP to extend their lead. The Sixers have not progressed past the Conference Semifinals since the 2000-01 season. They are 0-6 in the second round of the playoffs since that season. Two of those series losses have come against the Celtics.
So about capitalizing on that lead with Embiid back. Understandably, Doc Rivers played his MVP cautiously. The center had 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 blocks in 27 minutes. However, no one was able to set up to replace his productivity, even with Rivers using all but one of his bench players. Tobias Harris led the team in scoring with 16 points. Meanwhile, Philly’s nine bench players saw a combined 97 minutes on the floor but only managed to add 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. Embiid and Harris were the only Sixers starters to reach 15 points.
The real story of the game came from the Celtics’ defense. After allowing the Sixers to sink 17 threes in Game 1, Boston forced an awful 6-for-30 shooting night from behind the arc in Game 2. While Jayson Tatum put up just seven points on a foul-riddled night, other Celtics stepped up offensively. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 25 points while Marcus Brogdon added 23 from the bench. The resulting 121-87 drubbing becomes Philly’s fourth-worst playoff loss in team history. Ironically, the worst playoff loss, a 40-point loss in 1982, also came at the hands of the Celtics. However, the Sixers will get the chance to bounce back at home as the series moves to Philadelphia. The Sixers went 29-12 at Wells Fargo Center during the regular season. Game 3 is set for May 5 at 7:30pm.
While the Philadelphia 76ers have only been without newly-crowned MVP Joel Embiid for two games, it has felt like an age for fans. Embiid was assessed to have an LCL sprain in his right knee following Game 3 of the first-round matchup between the Sixers and Nets. This forced Embiid to miss the series-sealing Game 4. The Sixers are not an “Embiid or bust” team. However, the star’s absence has definitely been felt on the court.
Ahead of their second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers warned fans that Embiid was likely not ready to play in Game 1. However, even without Embiid, the Sixers managed to steal a win on the road thanks to the heroics of James Harden. Harden put up 45 points in the Sixers’ Game 1 road victory. But now, finally, Sixers fans are set to receive some good news.
Embiid Back Barring Setback
Joel Embiid is set to return for Game 2 against the Celtics barring setbacks, sources tell @ShamsCharania.
Embiid, named the league’s MVP last night, told his teammates, “I’m back,” during a quick 76ers celebration, league sources told The Athletic.
First reported by The Athletic, Joel Embiid will appear in May 3’s Game 2 provided he is able to get through Wednesday’s team shootaround and pre-game workout. Embiid will also likely be asked about his playing condition at an NBA press conference concerning his MVP award. Confidence seems high though, with Embiid the first player onto the court during the team workout on Wednesday morning. Game 2 between the Sixers and Celtics is scheduled to begin at 8:00PM EDT. The game will take place at Boston’s TD Garden.
However, Rivers is still being cautious about his star player’s condition. “It’s just health-based. If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he can’t. And if it’s 50-50, we would probably err on the other side [and not have him play], because we’ve done that all year,” Rivers said on Tuesday afternoon. Embiid appeared in 66 regular season games for the Sixers this season. That was third-highest amongst starters, trailing P.J. Tucker and Tobias Harris. Additionally, through three playoff games, Embiid is averaging 20 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Who do you think will win between the Sixers and Celtics? Be sure to make HotNewHipHop your number one stop for all the latest sports news.
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(@ayeejuju) May 26, 2023
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