The NBA is, as they say, a make/miss league, and in that respect the Celtics shot 50% where their injured players were concerned.
Marcus Smart, who played in Game 3 despite suffering a severe right ankle sprain, was listed as out for Monday night’s Game 4 despite a day of treatment and a pregame test. Earlier in the day he was named recipient of the NBA’s Hustle Award, marking the second time in four years he’s won the honor.
Robert Williams, who missed Game 3 due to swelling from a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee, was declared available, also following a pregame workout.
“More so treatment than anything,” Ime Udoka said of how Smart had spent his day. “Pretty swollen but he’s a guy that plays through a lot so you can’t determine it based on how it looks. There’s mobility more than anything and he hasn’t done that yet. More so just trying to get the swelling and pain down and give it a go here in the next 10 minutes. But it is quite swollen.”
And, as such, Smart missed his second game of the 2022 playoffs to injury. He missed Game 1 of the conference finals due to a deep thigh contusion.
But Williams’ return was pivotal, considering how often Bam Adebayo attacked the paint with Williams out in Game 3.
“Improving every day. Extra day or two of rest, not playing obviously helps with him,” Udoka said of his starting center. “Swelling is minimal. It comes and goes. Obviously you play a game and it kind of plays up a little bit at times but it’s really a pain tolerance thing and agility as well, certain movements hurt it worse than others.
“He benefits us obviously with the lob threat and the rim threat there,” said the Celtics coach. “Teams tend to not step up and crowd as much off him with the easy outlet there but we do have some spacing that works well when he’s not there, spreading the guys out with Grant and Al, and you saw that in the Milwaukee series. So it works both ways but he is a pretty good outlet there obviously. You know, defensively, just a turn in the lane, he’s our best guy overall reading when to help, when to stay with his own but you can notice that other teams are looking for him when they penetrate to the paint on the other end of the paint as well.”
White looking for a breakout game
Derrick White got the start in place of Smart, and though the guard’s play has been part of the solution, he’d also like to go more on the attack.
“I’m trying to be more aggressive,” said White. “I feel like the last game and a half I’ve just been real passive, so on both sides just be a little more aggressive, and create for myself and my teammates and try to help in any way, but I feel like I have to be a little more aggressive.
“Sometimes you’re just trying to get other guys involved, just try to do other things,” he said. “But you just got to play your game, do what you do, and that’s just what the coaches have been telling me, my teammates, so just go out there and be who I’ve been in my career.”
Turnovers
Throwaways have become the Celtics’ primary concern in this series, as evidenced by the 24 they forked over in their Game 3 loss. Miami’s aggressive, physical style naturally had something to do with it.
“They do a good job of pressuring the ball and just being in shifts, making the floor look crowded,” said White. “So just being patient, I mean, Milwaukee did it in certain aspects but just being patient, having multiple attacks, not trying to force it all on that first drive or whatever it might be. Be patient, make the simple play, and just try to find that great shot each and every time down.”
Said Al Horford: “I believe there’s a clear understanding that that’s what they do, and for us to just play the way we play. It’s making sure we’re executing, making sure of what we need to do offensively, and most importantly our group staying connected on the defensive end. That’s where we hung our hat all year, and it’s not going to be any different tonight.”