NBA Playoffs 2011: What Boston Needs to Get Out of Its 0-2 Hole With Miami
The Miami Heat won the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Boston Celtics.
They held serve. They protected their house. They took two on their home court.
A widely held perspective is that a playoff series hasn't begun until a home team loses.
That hasn't happened yet.
But it sure seems like the Celtics are facing a must-win situation as the series goes to Boston for Game 3 on Saturday night.
And while Boston didn't play badly in their to losses in Miami, there are at least five changes that need to take place for the Celtics to get back into the series.
Let's take a quick look at them...
The Celtics Need Kevin Garnett to Step It Up
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Kevin Garnett did not play well in the two games in Miami.
He scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds....combined.
Garnett shot 11-for-29 (38 percent) from the field and didn't take a single free throw.
The veteran power forward played 37 minutes in each of the games.
He was on the court long enough to make a solid contribution. He just didn't get much done, especially in Game 1.
If Garnett can just get back to his regular-season performance levels (14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 53 percent from the floor), the Celtics are going to be in much better shape in Games 3 and 4.
The Celtics Need Ray Allen to Fill It Up
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Ray Allen had one really good game (Game 1) and one really bad game (Game 2) in Miami.
After going for 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting (including 5-for-8 from beyond the arc) in the opening game of the series, Allen scored seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in the second game.
Combined, Allen has his long-distance shooting stroke, going 6-for-10 from downtown.
But the Celtics need the NBA's all-time leader in regular-season made three-point field goals to be assertive and productive in their next two contests if they are going to even the series.
The Celtics Need Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce to Heal It Up
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Rajon Rondo is trying to play his game with what has been described as a "balky back."
Rondo had a strong second game, scoring 20 points and dishing out 12 assists.
Paul Pierce is nursing his strained left Achilles, which sent him to the locker room during the first half of Game 2.
Pierce was the most consistent player on the floor for the Celtics, scoring 32 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the two contests in South Beach.
Four days of rest and recovery should help them to be ready to roll this coming weekend.
If either of these players is not at full strength come Game 3 on Saturday, Boston is going to be hurting.
The Celtics Need Doc Rivers to Draw It Up
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The Boston Celtics finished the 2010-11 regular season as the best team in the league in terms of scoring defense, only allowing their opponents to put 91 points per game on the scoreboard.
They were also the regular-season No. 2 team for defensive field-goal percentage. Their opponents shot 43.4 percent from the floor.
Miami scored 99 and 102 points and shot 47.1 and 45.3 percent, respectively.
If the Celtics would have been in top defensive form in the first two games of this series, they would most likely have gone home with a 1-1 split.
Instead, Doc Rivers needs to establish a strong, aggressive game plan to contain James, Wade and Bosh in Games 3 and 4.
The Celtics Need Big Baby to Just Show Up
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With the midseason trade of Kendrick Perkins and Shaq's absence (because of injury), the Celtics need Glen Davis to show up in Games 3 and 4, because he didn't in the first two games of the series.
He only scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in 49 minutes of action off the bench in the two games in Miami.
Davis averaged 11.7 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 2010-11.
Boston desperately needs Davis to produce at least at his regular-season levels.
