Boston Gets Back Versus Miami; Lakers Get One Against Denver
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 28 Apr 2024
Adjusting defensively and offensively, the East top seed Boston Celtics bounced back against the eighth seed Miami Heat to secure a 108-84 win and a 2-1 series lead, with one more game scheduled in Miami before the series returns to Boston for the pivotal fifth game.
Meanwhile, the West seventh seed Los Angeles Lakers finally got one win against the second seed Denver Nuggets, prevailing 119-108 and preventing another sweep on their home court. Before the game, the Nuggets had beaten LA eleven straight times, dating back to last season.
Responding to Coach Joe Mazzula, the Celtics brought back the quality that topped the Eastern Conference by more than a dozen wins. Although the Heat still shot better from beyond the arc, the Celtics' defense limited their attempts to just 28, with only nine made, compared to the 43 attempts and 23 made in their second game win over Boston.
The Celtics also had more three-point attempts at 37, and though only 11 were made, they compensated with a better field goal percentage, making 39 out of more attempts (81%).
Boston kept Miami guessing on its offensive options, allowing Kristaps Porzingis, who was basically shut down in the last game, to make his presence felt both inside and from the three-point range, where he made more than 50 percent of his tries.
Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown also varied their shot selections, with a preponderance on inside and medium shots after registering low percentages from long range. Brown virtually made a living attacking the painted area.
With Porzingis, Tatum, and Brown playing decoy or assisting, many other Celtics were able to contribute on offense, including Derek White, Al Horford, Payron Pritchard, and even Jrue Holiday, who was anchoring the defense.
Tatum and Brown led for Boston with 22 points each, followed by Porzingis with 18 points. White scattered 16 points, and Horford chipped in 9 points.
Applying more physical defense, Boston made life very difficult for Miami, which was felt by Miami's last game hero, Tyler Herro, who was limited to just 15 points in 33 minutes of action, and Caleb Martin, who could only score 5 points in 38 minutes on the floor. Only center Bam Adebayo was able to stand against the Celtics' defense, leading Miami in scoring with 19 points.
The LA-Denver game was an exhibition of desire on the part of the Lakers, who never relinquished the lead and the initiative once they got it in the very first quarter, even enjoying an 18-point lead on the way to a 61-48 halftime advantage.
The game was basically a dunk and short shot show on both sides, with LA's Anthony Davis and LeBron James, and Denver's Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter having their field day, while Lakers' D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reeves, and Nuggets' Jamal Murray and K. Caldwell Pope, broke the duel with long and medium-range shots.
James led the Lakers with 30 points, followed by Davis with 25 points and 23 rebounds, and Russell and Reeves, both with 22 points. For Denver, Jokic had another triple-double of 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, while Porter had 27 points and 11 boards, Murray managed 22 points, and Pope 14 points.
In the other scheduled game, the West top seed Oklahoma City Thunder outclassed the eighth seed New Orleans Pelicans, 106-85 at the Smoothie King Center Arena in New Orleans for a 3-0 series lead.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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