Last night the Boston Celtics took a 3-2 series lead by winning 94-90 over the Miami Heat. The series now goes to Boston for Game 6, where the Celtics will try to get the spot in the NBA Finals. Here are my thoughts:
- The “old” myth has been debunked and disproved and thrown out the window by Kevin Garnett in these Playoffs. Last night he had 26 points and 11 rebounds in another 20-and-10 game the Celtics needed from him. He’s in 2008 KG-form, with his play on the court and his interviews off it. Classic Garnett is the reason the Celtics are up 3-2.
- Despite an off shooting night for Rajon Rondo, he had some clutch buckets and great defense down the stretch, doing anything he can even when he isn’t in usual Rondo mode. His passes continue to impress even the announcers, and 13 assists on the stat sheet still looks pretty good.
- Once again I’ve got to point out home court advantage, or lack thereof. When Miami went on runs, specifically at the start of the game and in the mid-3rd quarter, the Heat crowd did not create enough of an environment for them to keep that run going and turn it into a blowout. The fans do play a big part of the game sometimes, Miami’s doesn’t have the intensity lately of Boston’s, Oklahoma City’s, or San Antonio’s.
- Can you have 27 points and still have a bad game? Yes you can, and Dwyane Wade proved it. He never got into a flow shooting the ball, and he only made two jumpers outside the paint. Wade benefited from the free throw line and layups in this one, he didn’t really do enough for Miami.
- Chris Bosh played well in his comeback from the injury. Though he didn’t play a lot (14 minutes),he scored 9 points and added 7 rebounds. Miami was really conservative with him but I think it was the right call. Good game from Bosh, and I think he’ll get increased minutes in Game 6.
- Three point percentage! Boston shot 40% from behind the arc and Miami went just 7-26. The Celtics were more selective from three and it payed off.
- A key play was Rondo’s second-chance layup late in the 4th when Miami failed to rebound the ball in the paint. Rondo had three such offensive rebounds and Garnett had three as well. Though Miami had more in the game (Bosh had 6), Boston’s came down the stretch in key situations, and the Celtics just wanted those boards more.
- Paul Pierce is making clutch play after clutch play in this series, and no play was more clutch than his three pointer in LeBron’s face with 53 seconds left. It’s plays like these that make Pierce “The Truth”, and he, like KG, is in ’08 form.
- Shane Battier had the quote that summed it all up for Miami. “We played hard, we just didn’t play intelligent.”
- In Game 5′s when the series is tied 2-2 in the Big Three era, the Celtics are a perfect 9-0.
- Game 6 prediction: The Heat had their chance, they blew it. Boston will close it out at TD Garden and become Eastern Conference Champions, where they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will close out the Spurs tonight.
