Following the Celtics' 123-116 loss to the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Joe Mazzulla pointed out multiple times that his team "won three of the four quarters."
He's not wrong. The Celtics did outscore Miami in three of the four quarters, but they were also outscored 66-50 in the second half — courtesy of an embarrassing third quarter. Slow starts in the third quarter have been a recurring issue for the Celtics dating back to last postseason, and it plagued them again in their Game 1 loss.
Boston led by nine at halftime of Game 1, but that lead was erased quickly in the second half. Miami outscored Boston 46-25 in the third quarter and took a 12-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Miami's 46 third-quarter points were the most they have scored in a quarter this postseason and are tied for their second-most all season. It's also the most points Boston has allowed in a quarter this postseason and second-most all season.
Miami shot 17 of 26 (65.4%) from the floor in the third, including 6 of 9 (66.7%) from deep. The Celtics are at their best when their defense compliments their offense, and that was not the case in the third quarter. Boston's inability to get a stop forced their offense to slow down, which puts them at a significant disadvantage. The C's offense is not nearly as effective when they slow things down, and that was on display in the third.
"We gotta play with more pace," Jayson Tatum said postgame. "In the third quarter we kinda played too slow, mainly because we weren't getting stops."
Staying focused and playing with intensity for an entire 48 minutes has been such an issue for the Celtics this postseason, and again is the reason to blame for their Game 1 loss.
"We get tired of doing the little things sometimes," Marcus Smart said when asked about the team's struggle to stay consistent throughout the entirety of a game.
Boston's chronic lulls are not going to fly against a team like Miami, especially on this stage. The Celtics are clearly the more talented team in this series, but they give Miami chances when they lose focus, because they play down to the level of their opponent. The Celtics beat themselves in Game 1 and allowed the Heat to steal a win on the road.
One thing the Celtics seem to know about this Heat team is they are always going to respond, and how Boston reacts when they do will be the key to this series.
"We have to raise our mindset knowing they are going to respond." Mazzulla said postgame. "That's what this series is about. How long can we stay the more competitive, physical, disciplined basketball team?"
Losing Game 1 isn't the end of the world. The Celtics lost Game 1 in the Philadelphia series, as well as Game 1 to these Heat a season ago, and they went on to win both series. However, if the Celtics continue to have these moments where they lose focus and play down to their opponent, this series could be a lot tougher than many predicted.
