By Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY
BOSTON – Adjustments determine who wins a playoff game, and a playoff series.
David Butler II, US Presswire
The Boston Celtics went to Kevin Garnett with success in the Game 3 win, and now the Miami Heat must adjust to that move in Game 4 on Sunday.
Players and coaches say it's all about making the right changes after a game, win or lose, and the team which executes those changes usually, but not always, gives itself a better chance to win.
The Boston Celtics made those changes against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals but still lost 119-115 in overtime.
The Celtics made a few more tweaks for Game 3 and won 101-91.
Now, it's Miami's turn to figure out how to counter Boston's game plan.
Much of the discussion will be focused on Miami's ability to free up guard Dwyane Wade for more offensive opportunities and more room for Wade and forwardLeBron James to attack the basket.
But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is more concerned about the other end of the floor — his team's defense.
While not completely satisfied with Miami's offense in Game 3, he thought it was good enough.
"Even though it wasn't smooth all the way through, I think we played well enough to give ourselves a chance to win on that end," Spoelstra said.
"But defensively we were as poor as we've been all the playoffs."
The Heat allowed a league-best 36.2 points per game in the paint this season, but allowed a team playoff-high 58 points in the paint to the Celtics in Game 3.
"We've been undersized on paper all season long," Heat forward Shane Battier said. "And so we know we've had to work extra hard and extra smart to really limit paint points. So it's nothing new for us. We know we're undersized. We have to work quicker, smarter, more together to limit those catches."
Boston took 37 shots in the restricted area at the basket.
"They were able to get probably the easiest buckets they were able to get all playoffs," Spoelstra said. "We had playoff highs in lay-up attempts and points in the paint. So we have to be much tougher in those areas, the effort areas, the big muscle areas, which we were in the first two games."
Miami's dilemma in the first two games was controlling Boston point guard Rajon Rondo. Now, add center Kevin Garnett, who was much more active in pick-and-rolls and post-ups, according to Synergy Sports, which tracks every play of every NBA game. The Celtics went to Garnett inside — just two of Garnett's 10 makes were outside the paint. He had 24 points.
"They came in with a mentality to make sure he got some deep catches," Spoelstra said. "So we have to meet him with force, play him with two people at times, but do things harder and better than what we did."
Miami fronted Garnett in the low post in the first two games and made it more difficult for Boston's perimeter players to throw Garnett the ball. The Celtics adjusted. They used Garnett in the pick-and-roll to get him the ball in the low post, and it worked.
"The minor (adjustments) you do make sometimes turn out to be big," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Sometimes they turn out to be wrong, and then you have to adjust back. You just have to be careful with them."
Rivers even listens — albeit cautiously — when his players come to him with suggestions.
"They are the ones on the floor, honestly," Rivers said. "I can only see so much, and so can my staff. I talk to them all. Either right before the game or after the game, rather. And (Sunday) morning. Some will text. We have an open communication.
"I always kid them. I usually say, 'When you want to make an adjustment, it's usually your guy is kicking your (butt), so you want to try to change the coverage somehow.' And I joke and say only team adjustments will we make. Not individual adjustments."
Garnett appreciates Rivers' communication skills.
"He lets us give our input, and he actually listens," he said. "But at the end of the day, we have a lot of confidence in him knowing the game and knowing it from both ends, and we follow that."
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