Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

 It was apparent from the start that the Miami Heat were not giving away anything to the Celtics . Their defense was versatile and stifling.  But few expected their shooting display from the hinterlands in the Heat's 111-101 defeat of Boston . They hit on 23-of-43 shots from deep for a 53.5 percentage. In the regular season , they only attempted an average of 33.7 3-pointers per game, making 12.5 of them (37.0%) . What also didn't help the Celtics cause was Kristaps Porzingis having an off-shooting night . He was 1-of-9 from the field and 0-of-4 from long range for a total of six points . He did fine in the other categories, however, with eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. And give credit to T yler Herro and his 24 points, five boards and 14 assists. He lived up to his name . So it's on to Miami with the series tied 1-1. Home court has once again been negated versus the Miami Heat - in a series that many felt would be a sweep by Boston - particul...

The Miami Heat are not the epitome of what is viewed as the ultimate, modern NBA team. They are not especially quick or athletic, but they took over last night's Game Five versus the Los Angeles Lakers to close the gap to 3-2 in favor of the Lakers. It starts with Jimmy Butler . Many Boston fans remember him as the guy they did not want to see in Boston. Well, he chose to go to Miami in free agency, and it looks like a fine decision on bis part. Butler doesn't get the job done with upper-level athleticism, but he is so fundamentally sound. His footwork, passing and mid-range game were all on display  Jimmy played all-but-one minute in the 111-108 victory, scoring 35 points, while adding 12 boards, 11 assists, five steals, one block and only three turnovers. And he only committed two personal fouls while tending to Lebron James for much of the game. Butler attempted 19 field goals (making 11 of them), and only three of those 19 attempts were 3-pointers. He just seemed to be maki...

You know what I am talking about. The Rip Hamilton type of player. Or Reggie Miller. The Celtics had one way back, and his name was John Havlicek. How about Klay Thompson? Same deal. Boston sorely needs a player that never stops moving on offense and can score on the move or in a stop-and-pop situation. The Miami Heat have a current version in that mold in rookie Tyler Herro, and while on the subject, second-year man, Duncan Robinson, does pretty well also. This type of player simply demands constant attention on the perimeter and opens up situations for teammates to score down low. Fourteen-year veteran JJ Redick has spent his career moving and scoring for various teams. Now with the Pelicans, the 36-year-old swingman has never been known for his in-your-shirt defense, but he has endured regardless. In a Brad Stevens-coached team, no defense means little playing time, but the Celtics need for this type of motion-driven scoring may supersede that thinking. Danny Ainge could attempt to ...

 Celtics coach, Brad Stevens must be asking the same question about the Miami Heat players. "Who are those guys?" Butch Cassidy (played by Paul Newman) asked that question of the Sundance Kid (portrayed by Robert Redford) in the 1969 western flick. In the film, the two outlaws were being pursued by a relentless posse that just would not quit. It starts with 3rd-year, All-Star center with a first name seemingly snatched from a Batman cartoon, Bam Adebayo . The 14th pick in the 2017 NBA draft was never supposed to be this good - at least not so soon. The starter at shooting guard for Miami, Duncan Robinson , went undrafted in the 2018 draft and has worked hard (a requirement for Pat Riley's teams) to earn a spot on this Title contender. Robinson avoids 2-point shots (less than one per game) and does his damage from beyond the arc at 7.3 attempts/game and making 41% of them. Forward, and Ex-Celtic, Jae Crowder , has found a niche in Miami - at least for now. The Heat are his...