Game 3 lineup switch: Celtics going small with Derrick White replacing Robert Williams in starting five
BOSTON -- With their backs against the wall in Miami, the Boston Celtics are going small to start Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Derrick White will start over center Robert Williams as Boston looks to dig itself out of a 2-0 series hole against the Heat.
Joe Mazzulla had been rolling with a double big lineup with Al Horford and Williams since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semis against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics won both games against Philadelphia and MVP Joel Embiid that they started with that double-big lineup, but have since gone on to drop the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals to Miami.
The writing was on the wall for Mazzulla to make this move after he opted to start White over Williams in the second half of Game 2 on Friday night. With White starting, the Celtics should have a little more spacing on the floor early against the Heat on Sunday night.
Williams averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds over the first two games against Miami, playing 24.5 minutes per contest. White struggled at the end of Boston's seven-game series win over Philadelphia, but gave the Celtics 11 points in both Games 1 and 2 against the Heat, hitting eight of his 12 3-point attempts.
The biggest factor for the Celtics, though, will be Al Horford breaking out of his massive slump. He's averaged just 4.5 points off 31 percent shooting from the floor and a dreadful 12.5 percent from 3-point range (just 1-for-8) over the first two games against the Heat. Since hitting six of his eight 3-pointers in Game 3 against the 76ers, he's hit just 17 percent (5-for-29) of his threes and 25 percent of his shots overall over the last six games. Horford is also averaging just five rebounds per game against the Heat.
The veteran needs to take -- and make -- his threes on Sunday night in order to get Bam Adebayo out of the paint for Miami.
