WALTHAM, Mass. – Having averaged an Eastern Conference-best 112.9 points per game during February, the Boston Celtics are ready to wrap up their month with a test against a pair of elite defenses.
The C’s will host the top ‘D’ in the East – the Miami Heat – Saturday afternoon, before a Monday night showdown against the Utah Jazz, who stifled Boston, 111-93, on Feb. 19.
During Friday afternoon’s practice, the Celtics set their focus on the former team. The Heat have surrendered an East-best 96.88 points per game this season, and have won nine of their last 13, including eight-straight wins against Eastern Conference foes.
Miami’s defense has received a great boost this season with the arrival of 19-year-old rookie Justise Winslow. The young swingman ranks third in the Eastern Conference with a defensive rating of 97.6 points allowed per 100 possessions when he is on floor.
Winslow and three-time All-Defensive Team selection Dwyane Wade lock down the perimeter, while veteran Luol Deng provides defensive versatility, and league-leading shot-blocker Hassan Whiteside mans the interior.
Such a well-rounded defensive presence is enough to throw opposing teams into fits, and it’s certainly a focal point for coach Brad Stevens and the crew as they prepare for their matinee matchup.
“They’ve got all that athleticism in the backcourt,” Stevens said after practice. “They’ve just got a lot of good size, good length and then the ultimate protector back there (Whiteside), so guys can’t get easy looks at the basket.”
The Heat are 3-1 since the All-Star break, with wins over Atlanta, Washington and Indiana, as well as a six-point loss to Golden State Wednesday night.
During those four games, Miami has been without 11-time All-Star forward Chris Bosh, who is out indefinitely due to a blood clot that was recently discovered in his calf. He developed a clot in his calf last season as well, which eventually moved to his lungs and caused him to miss the final 30 games of the campaign.
Amazingly, the Heat have not missed a beat without Bosh; though that is no surprise to the Celtics.
C’s swingman Evan Turner noted, “They have a lot of good players, and when you mix that with coaching, depth, and guys that can make plays, you’re always going to have a chance.”
Stevens elaborated further, “They’ve always been able to plug pieces in and still maintain a high level of play, and that’s been the case ever since I’ve been here. There have been multiple games [against us] where they haven’t had all their guys, and last year they didn’t have Bosh, Wade and [Whiteside] and they just drubbed us, so we’re going to have to play well.”
“It’s not only a team you’re paying against,” he added. “But they have a good culture, they’ve got a good way that they go about things and they’re a hard-playing group.”
The best way to attack a hard-nosed team like the Heat is to dish that tenacity right back to them. Isaiah Thomas is hoping the Boston’s energy from its 112-107 win over the Bucks Thursday night can carry over to Saturday’s game.
“We’ve just got to be in attack mode,” said Thomas, whose Celtics beat a fully healthy Heat squad, 105-95, on the road in late-November. “From the second play on [against Milwaukee] we played at a high level. We played with energy, we were very aggressive and we were just in attack mode. I think we’ve just gotta play with that energy and continue to attack and we’ll be fine.”
Aside from the offensive test, there’s also some extra emphasis heading into this contest because Miami sits just one game behind the third-place Celtics in the East standings.
“The next game is always the biggest game,” said Thomas, “but we know that they’re right behind us and we definitely want to create some separation in the standings.”
In order to create that separation, Boston’s offense must continue its recent trend and bring an extra dose of tenacity against the Heat Saturday afternoon.
