Keys for Boston Celtics in Game 2: Defense and Rajon Rondo

Will the Miami Heat and Boston CelticsEastern Conference Finals series be a repeat of what happened during last year’s playoffs? Boston succumbed to Miami in last year’s Conference Semifinals series 4-1 and this year could be no different unless Boston picks it up. Even though there has been only one game played in the seven-game series, the way Miami dominated the game without Chris Bosh could be a scary thing for the Celtics. Owners of Boston Celtics tickets are also wary about their team’s chances for the title especially with how the team played overall in Game 1.

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In Game 1, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had their way right into the heart of the Boston defense. Boston, on the other hand, had difficulties penetrating into the lane evidenced by the 11 blocks that Miami had.

With the way things went for Boston in Game 1, Kevin Garnett delivered a message near the end of game to his team that James, Wade, and the rest of the Heat should find the Celtics challenging them everywhere on the floor. Perhaps the Big Ticket was right since any apprehension from the Heat’s superstar duo does not exist as of the moment. James and Wade can go anywhere they want with ease and Boston definitely has to change that.

Garnett was asked after the game if Miami were “showboating” near the end of Game 1 and agreed to it. “They’re comfortable, and when you’re comfortable, you do things like that,” Garnett told.

What Garnett meant with “comfortable” refers to a lot of things. One is that nobody from Boston made James and Wade to think twice about driving the ball into the lane. Another is that Miami was just everywhere the floor, chasing loose balls, grabbing rebounds, and slamming the door for every Boston drive down the lane.

As Rajon Rondo contemplated after the game: “Nothing dirty, but they have to hit the deck too.”

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Aside from the fact that Boston, as a team, failed to body up Miami, it also did not help that Rondo had some disappearing acts in Game 1. As Rondo goes, so go the Celtics and this adage of Doc Rivers was proven in Game 1. He may have posted numbers such as 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals but he did not took over when his team needed it. As what Rondo showed in Game 7 versus the Philadelphia 76ers, when he is engaged, he can change the overall complexion of the game.

Let’s take a deeper look at the game Rondo had in Game 1. He had a stat line of 16-9-7-7 in 44 minutes but he missed 12 shots and had four turnovers in the first quarter. He was also not able to consistently involve his teammates during the game that doomed the Celtics’ chances of stealing home court.

Rondo in Game 1 was not the Rondo that Miami had problem guarding in the regular season where he posted numbers of 18.7 points, 13.7 assists, and 7.7 rebounds. He was supposed to be the biggest mismatch and X factor for Boston but he was nowhere to be found in the game.

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