The Celtics need to close out the Heat on Wednesday night
BOSTON -- The Celtics cannot mess around Wednesday night. The Celtics need to end their first-round playoff series with the Miami Heat at TD Garden.
With Boston holding a 3-1 edge in the set, there's no need for this series against an 8-seeded and Jimmy Butler-less Heat to head back to South Beach. There's no need for the Celtics to give this undermanned but feisty (and by that we mean obnoxious) team any more chances to do Heat things and try to bust any more ankles or bruise up Boston's stars. We don't need to see Bam Adebayo getting in Jayson Tatum's airspace anymore than we already have.
The Celtics have already lost Kristaps Porzingis for an unknown amount of time after he limped off the floor in Game 4 with a calf strain. It's a blow for sure, but it should just motivate this team all the more. Get the heck out of this series without any more wounds.
With Porzingis, the Celtics were one of the best teams in the league. Without him, they're still right there. Not having Porzinigis is no excuse for losing any more games against Miami.
Unfortunately this opponent tends to bring out the worst in the Celtics. On Wednesday, we really don't need to see the Celtics sleepwalk with a double-digit lead and let the Heat get hot. Again.
In the playoffs, giving a foe any life or momentum can prove costly. And wild things have been happening in the playoffs this year.
The Celtics can't do what the Pacers did Tuesday night, letting a Giannis- and Dame-less Bucks team blow them out at home in a close-out situation. And no lead should feel safe, as we saw Tuesday night in New York. The Knicks blew a closeout game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden despite holding a six-point lead with 28 seconds left in the game. (The Knicks did something similar to the 76ers in Game 2.)
The Knicks got Maxey'd on Tuesday night. The Celtics better not find themselves in a situation where the could get Herro'd or Caleb Martin'd (again) on Wednesday.
Don't give the Heat any hope. The Celtics need to do what they couldn't against the Atlanta Hawks in last postseason's first round, and finish out the series with a Game 5 win at home.
The Celtics spent all regular season making TD Garden a house of horrors for opponents, going 37-4 on their homecourt. They constantly touted a goal of making visits to the Garden an uncomfortable experience for visitors. But after a Game 1 blowout, they let the Heat go historic from downtown and steal Game 2. After going 5-6 at home last postseason, the Celtics are starting these playoffs 1-1 in front of their fans.
Make up for that Game 2 embarrassment with a Game 5 win on Wednesday night. There's no reason to turn back into the "fool around and find out" Celtics of the last few years. Get ahead early and don't let go.
The reward is becoming the first team in the East to advance to the second round and a few days off while the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic sort out their first-round set. Cleveland owns a 3-2 edge in that series, with Game 6 set for Thursday night in Orlando.
The fourth win of a series is the hardest one to get. (Just ask the Bruins.) Chances are it's going to be a rock fight at TD Garden, but if the Celtics can get up early, they may be able to get Miami's mind onto the golf course and away from the hardwood.
The Celtics can show growth from last season by taking care of business Wednesday night. Losing home games and their inability to close out opponents has been a big slice of their postseason Kryptonite the last two postseasons.
It's simple for the Celtics. Win Wednesday, hope the Cavs and Magic go seven, and enjoy some extra rest before the next round. Unfortunately, the Celtics tend to take the hardest path in the playoffs. It'd be nice if they could get off that road Wednesday night.