By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Responding to the loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals best-of-seven series, the Boston Celtics banked in a convincing win over the Miami Heat Thursday.
Jimmy Butler registered a game-high 29 points but his side trailed heavily most of the way. The home-court advantage now belongs to the Celtics. Game 3 and Game 4 will be held in Boston’s TD Garden on Saturday and Monday.
“You do have to move on, but I don’t like to move on from this. It has to hurt. They tried to embarrass us and they did embarrass us,” mentioned Butler after Game 2, “I think we got to realize that, or use it as fuel, but realize that the game can get out of hand when you’re playing against a really good team like them that can score the ball and get stops. They made shots that they missed last game. That’s just what it is.”
Both Marcus Smart and Al Horford missed Game 1 but became available for Game 2 recovering from a mid-foot sprain and being cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols, respectively. Smart, the Defensive Player of the Year, posted a 24-point, 12-assist double-double and is already gearing up for Game 3.
“Well, we got embarrassed on their home court Game 1 when they came back and went on that 22-2 run. That was embarrassing for us, especially with the way we play defense,” he commented on Butler’s reaction, “We expect them to come out really hot. we expect them to come out more aggressive. We expect them to come out with a lot of juice. But with that being said, I expect my guys to do the exact same thing. We can’t come in and we can’t allow them to embarrass us on our home court.”
Moving to Jayson Tatum, he scored a team-high 27 points in Game 2. “The sign of a good team is how you respond after losses, especially tough ones,” he praised the bouncing-back effort, “It kind of shows the character of the group. We have done a really good job most of the year responding after tough losses and situations.”
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