The Celtics were in the process of giving away another game to the Heat Wednesday. They were careless with their offensive possessions and turned the ball over 10 times in the first half.
Before the second half began, Jeff Van Gundy identified exactly what the Celtics needed to improve.
"I thought both defenses were so superior to the offenses, and I think it's imperative that if Boston handles the ball better, I don't see how they don't win," he said.
Beautifully put. The Celtics opened the third quarter on an 8-0 win and never looked back, outscoring Miami 56-38 after the break. Most notably, they only turned the ball over once in the first 12 minutes out of halftime.
That's not to say it was a perfect quarter of basketball. The first 10 minutes were a whistle-heavy slog, with the Heat missing almost every shot and the Celtics getting to the line on seemingly every possession. Miami opened the third just 1-of-12 from the field; yet, the Celtics were only leading 59-58 with 2:30 remaining.
Then Grant Williams hit a corner three, and the Celtics got their breathing room. Jaylen Brown, who's struggled handling the ball this series, took over in the fourth and nailed multiple 3-pointers with a hand in his face — and delivered one rim-shattering dunk.
But the Celtics' run all started when they stopped beating themselves. Their disciplined play allowed them to bully the Heat on the offensive end, and suffocate them defensively. "There's nowhere to go for Miami right now," Van Gundy added at one point.
Of course, the Celtics were also aided by the Heat's "historic missing," as Van Gundy put it, but Miami couldn't hit a shot in the first half, either.
The difference between the two halves was all about the Celtics controlling the rock. Van Gundy is one clairvoyant guy.
