No assumptions for the Celtics as they prepare to battle the Heat
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics tend to be their own worst enemy.
Talent-wise, they're arguably the best team left in the NBA playoffs. But sometimes, the Celtics let that get into their own heads.
It has led to some disappointing losses in games they really shouldn't have let slip away. The Celtics may have assumed it would be easy to close out the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the opening round, only to let Trae Young take over and hit a game-winning shot in the end.
Perhaps they assumed that Game 1 against the 76ers would be an easy win considering MVP Joel Embiid was sidelined. Instead, they let James Harden go off an put them in an early 1-0 hole in the East semis.
We all know what happens when someone assumes anything. But the Celtics say they are done assuming, with another battle against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals tipping off Wednesday night at TD Garden.
They know, for a fact, that a hard fight lies ahead. Miami may be the 8-seed in the East, but the Celtics are well aware of what the Heat bring to the table.
"They're a hard-playing team. Great team, great players, with a couple of stars over there," Robert Williams said of Boston's next opponent. "We got into a couple of battles with them last year and during the regulars season, and it's always a tough fight."
The Celtics needed all seven games to beat the Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. They dropped Game 1 of that series in Miami, and then Game 3 back in Boston. They took control with two straight wins in Games 4 and 5, but then couldn't close things out in Game 6 in Boston and had to play a deciding Game 7 in South Beach. The Celtics barely survived that game when Jimmy Butler front-rimmed a potential game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds.
This time around, there will be no assuming. And if anything resembling an assumptions shows its face at any point in the series, veteran Al Horford will be there to set the group straight. He did as much at Tuesday's practice, when the 36-year-old felt that the team's energy level was not at an acceptable place.
But that is nothing new from Horford.
"That's all the time. He's always getting on our ass when we need it," Williams said Wednesday. "Even during losses, he'd sit us down and say, 'Hey, we made this bed and we have to lay in it. We have to learn from it; we can't run from it or pout about it.' He was telling us yesterday, "No assuming and to take everything serious.'"
And there really is no difference between the Al Horford that puts his team in place during the regular season, or the Al Horford that does that during the playoffs.
"He's a bad MF-er either way it goes," said Williams. "So I can't really say it's a big difference. He's an O-G. You can tell his attention to detail is way more focused and his drive to talk to everybody, or make sure everybody is mentally ready for this. He's been here before and in hard-fought series.
"It may not be just getting on us, but also letting us know it's going to be tough and what he needs from us. And we respond," added Williams.
While Horford leads with his wisdom, Williams had led with his energy. The young big man has started the last two games for the Celtics in place of Derrick White, which was a late-series move by Joe Mazzulla against Philadelphia that has paid off in a big way on the defensive end. Williams will reman in the starting rotation against the Heat.
Boston's energy has been much better with Williams on the court from the jump, and their defensive intensity has been through the roof. The 76ers scored just 86 and 88 points, respectively, in the final two games of the East semis when Williams got the start.
Will that carry over against the Heat? Maybe it will. But the Celtics aren't going to assume it will happen against a new team -- especially when that new team is the Miami Heat.
It falls in line with Boston's "no assumptions" mantra, which is a simple one.
"We try not to read into the hype. We know nothing is going to be given to us, so we don't assume," said Williams.
