CLEVELAND — Now that the Celtics have played all of their playoff games, a rare but interesting trend continues. Through eight playoff games, the Seeds have yet to play a single game. The NBA defines it as a game with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter or overtime and a lead of at least five points.
Of course, Team C had a close battle in the early stages. But by the middle of the fourth quarter, the Celtics were either outmatched or outplayed. This is an interesting trend because some teams like the Knicks seem to be in close games every time they step on the court.
In Game 3, the Celtics built a 23-point lead early in the third quarter. When the Cavs got as close as nine points multiple times in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Seas would finally get backdoor into a clutch game. But the Cavs never found a shot to build momentum, and by the end of the game, with the Cs winning 106-93, Boston advanced to the next game without playing a close game.
“Just trying to get it all,” Jaylen Brown said of the win. “I think that’s what we need to do. I think we need everyone to be on the same page and everyone to make the right effort. That’s where 85 percent of the battle is decided. We come out and fight. We play hard and then we get on the same page and the rest takes care of itself. We have enough talent in the locker room to beat the team.”
As a result of strange circumstances, C’s fans didn’t have to pace and wait for a classic playoff finish. Instead, in all eight of his games, teams ended up running out the clock dribbling for a deserved result. In fact, the Seeds haven’t even finished a playoff game that ended within single digits. The closest the Celtics have ever seen was Game 2, a 10-point loss to the Heat in the first round.
For now, this trend isn’t necessarily a cause for concern for C fans. After all, the Celtics are 6-2 in this playoff game. The Heat and Cavs have suffered two blowout losses, and part of the reason for those two losses could be due to inconsistent shooting. There are other issues with those losses, but the Seeds bounced back with double-digit wins in Game 3 on the road in both cases.
But there are also points that have fans and critics wondering how the Celtics will fare in a close playoff game. In the regular season, the Seeds had an impressive record of 21 wins and 12 losses in clutch games. The team has faced harsh scrutiny in the past due to close games, but this season they have taken a positive step forward. But these questions need to be answered again in the context of the playoffs. It’s just that the C team hasn’t been able to prove themselves yet with their crushing defeats. Perhaps they’ll get their next chance in Game 4, set for Monday at 7 p.m. in Cleveland.
“Earlier in my career, I never lost a playoff game at home and (expletive) never won a playoff game on the road,” Jayson Tatum said. “Right now it’s kind of the opposite. I think we have to fight human nature. We have the best crowd and we love being at home, but I don’t think we should look at it from their point of view. When you go to someone else’s home, you realize how hard it is and how much you have to connect.”
