tv set: ABC, 8:30 pm ET
BetMGM line: Celtics-6.5
At first glance on Saturday, we seemed to be preparing for three consecutive explosions in the finals of the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics eventually broke out of the 26-point hole, but the Miami Heat led Boston 2-1 to Game 4 at TD Garden on Monday.
Victory is very important to the Celtics. Otherwise, they will have to travel to Miami and fight from a 3-1 deficit to maintain their hopes for the finals. If they open the game like Saturday, it will be a difficult task.
Here’s everything you need to know about Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
1. Can the injured Jayson Tatum and Celtics bounce off?
Several Celtics, including Marcus Smart, were injured and collapsed on Saturday. Marcus Smart left for a moment before returning with what looked like a brutal ankle injury. Jaylen Brown and Al Horford led aggressively, Brown lost 40 points, Horford added 20 and recorded 14 rebounds. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum had a hard time.
Tatum had a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter, headed to the locker room for a few minutes, and finally returned. The Celtics have listed him as a possible Game 4.
Assuming he’s back on the floor, Tatum needs to reinforce it significantly. Tatum finished with 10 points on Saturday, shooting a tough three-fourteenth shot from the field and failing to reach one field goal in the second half. He also committed six turnovers.
“To be honest, I have to play better. I feel like I’ve left everyone hanging tonight,” he said. “It’s in me.”
Tatum, who is playing as hard as he did in the first two games (dropping 29 and 27 points, respectively), is definitely what the Celtics need on Monday night.
2. Finally, BAM Adebayo appeared
It took several games for Idris Adebayo to appear in the heat of Game 3.
Adebayo dropped 31 points with 10 rebounds on Saturday’s victory and shot an impressive 15-of-22 from the field. Jimmy Butler left half-time with a knee injury, so his output was a big need. He also ended the slump after struggling to shoot in games 1 and 2.
Adebayo shot a total of 10 shots in the first two games of the series, but with little impact, especially in Boston’s explosive victory in Game 2.
“We needed to score tonight and we needed an aggressive punch early on,” heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the victory. Via Associated Press.. “Then, when Jimmy was out in the second half, he just stabilized us. It got a little annoying, and when that happened, we took the ball to Bam, and I just got something consistent. “
If Boston could shut down Adebayo again, the Celtics would be in the best position to tie the series. It’s almost necessary for the Celtics to win, based on how Game 3 progressed.
3: Jimmy Butler intends to play with a knee injury
Jimmy Butler left Game 3 in half time Saturday night with knee irritation. He played normally in the first half, scoring 8 points and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes, but it’s unclear when his knees started to hurt and what was the cause.
Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haines reported Saturday night that the injury was “not considered serious,” but Butler was suspicious in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
Nevertheless, Haynes reports that Butler intends to playWhat the heat probably needs to take the lead in the 3-1 Series. Butler has averaged 28.1 points and 7.2 rebounds by this postseason, both far superior to his regular season figures. He missed Game 5 of the opening round series with the Atlanta Hawks due to knee problems, but he’s been fine ever since.
Heat listed some other players as suspicious. Tyler Herro deals with inguinal injuries, Kyle Lowry, Gave Vincent and Max Strass all have hamstring problems, and PJ Tucker has a knee injury.
It’s still feasible, but the heat will be much better from Monday if they can make their full roster available. Otherwise, things could be tied up and sitting when the series returns to Miami.
