Process Of Elimination: Keys To A Celtics Victory Over 76ers In Game 5
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- After their hopes of a sweep ended with a frustrating loss on Monday night, the Celtics look to eliminate the 76ers back in Boston in Wednesday night's Game 5.
Very few gave them a shot before the series tipped off, so the Celtics have had a chip on their shoulders since the opening jump. Once again they're an underdog for Game 5, despite the fact it's being played at the TD Garden where the Celtics are 6-0 this postseason.
The Celtics don't need to reinvent the wheel after their loss in Game 4, they just have to clean up a few things and get back to doing what got them a 3-0 series lead. The 76ers made adjustments on Monday, inserting T.J. McConnell into the starting lineup, and it paid off. They were able to attack the paint with ease and it led to a gigantic advantage for Philly. Expect Brad Stevens to have a few adjustments of his own ready for Wednesday.
The Celtics are not making excuses and instead sound like a confident bunch ready for another chance at eliminating "the process." Here are some keys to the C's ending the 76ers' season and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season:
Take Care Of The Basketball
It's such a novel concept, but turnovers really killed the Celtics on Monday. They coughed up the ball 15 times, giving Philadelphia fast-break opportunities and leading to 16 points for the 76ers. Boston only turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter, which was their best frame of the game. Once they stopped giving the ball to the 76ers, the Celtics had a chance to come back (unfortunately, they missed open looks which ended any comeback hopes).
The Celtics had just 19 turnovers, total, in the first two games of the series in Boston. It sounds so simple, but if they take care of the basketball, they'll win the game on Wednesday.
Clean Up The Glass
Turnovers were just half of the problem on Monday. The 76ers got even more extra possessions by pulling down 16 offensive rebounds. All of that cleaning up on the offensive glass led to 18 second-chance points for Philadelphia.
Add up those turnovers and those offensive rebounds, and the 76ers took 19 more shots than the Celtics. That's how they won on Monday despite shooting just 40 percent from the floor.
Stevens said the key to limiting those offensive rebounds is establishing contact earlier, but that's not always the easiest goal to accomplish against Philadelphia. But expect it to be a point of focus during Wednesday's game.
Hit Those Corners
The Celtics love to shoot the three ball. Love it. It's a big part of their offensive attack and they did it extremely well in Games 1 and 2, going 32-for-71 for a crisp 45 percent.
Their long-range shooting dipped to 30 percent in Games 3 and 4, as Boston hit just 21 of their 70 attempts. So the shots were there, the Celtics just didn't hit them, which is kind of important in such a make or miss league.
The Celtics do most of their three-point damage from the corners, as they've hit 47 percent of their attempts in the corners (compared to the 33 percent above the break). Philadelphia did a good job contesting those corner threes in the two games at the Wells Fargo Center, and won't let up as they face elimination. It'll be important for the Celtics to generate better looks from the corners, and actually hit them when they're open, on Wednesday night.
And as a quick side note, it's probably better if the C's don't let Aron Baynes fire up six long-range shots. Just a thought.
Protect The Paint
Philadelphia dominated the paint in Game 4, outscoring the Celtics 52-30, and it wasn't just Joel Embiid muscling his way to the hoop. It was as though McConnell was in a layup line all night, using his clear path to the hoop for six of his nine makes. Even Ben Simmons, playing off the ball with McConnell in the lineup, got his offense going and scored 19 points.
McConnell will be back in Philly's starting five on Wednesday, and expect the Celtics to have a much better focus on his driving and cutting. A lot of that will fall on Terry Rozier, who luckily plays a lot better in front of the Boston crowd. They'll continue to let Embiid do his damage, but if the Celtics can limit everyone else around him, they'll be moving on late Wednesday night.