NBA Playoffs 2011: What to Watch for in Game Five of Celtics-Heat
The Celtics face a 3-1 series deficit coming into Game Five against the Heat tonight. It is imperative that they come away with a win, otherwise, their season would be over. But as we have seen, it is not easy to win against this Heat team. But that doesn't mean it can't be done. At this point the Celtics just need to take it one game at a time, and it all starts with this game. So, here are some things to watch for in tonight's game.
Win or Go Home
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The Celtics need to win this game. In fact, they can't lose to this Heat team again, or else they will be eliminated. This is uncharted waters for this Celtics team. It is the first time this Big Three has been faced with an elimination game that is not a Game 7. So it is hard to tell how they will respond.
Will they roll over and go down like the Lakers? Or will they give it their all and, if they lose, go out swinging? We may find out what this team is made of tonight.
Kevin Garnett
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Which Kevin Garnett will show up tonight? The answer to that question could determine the outcome of this game.
He has been inconsistent to say the least. In Game 3 he had his greatest playoff performance as a Celtic with 28 points and 18 rebounds. But he followed it up with his worst playoff performance as a Celtic with 7 points on 1-10 shooting.
If he goes towards the hoop and gets his shots near the rim like in Game 3, then he will play fine. But if he settles for jump shots and fades away, like in Game 4, then he will not play fine and the Celtics will be in trouble.
Containing Wade, Lebron, and Bosh
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In Game 3, the trio of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh combined for 83 of their teams 98 points. That's 85 percent of the team's points! Needless to say, if the Celtics can contain them, they will win the game. Obviously, that is much easier said than done.
Realistically, if the Celtics can hold them all to average games, they can win. But they cannot allow any of them to score over 30 points like they have done in the losses thus far in the series. Keep them all under 30 points and the Celtics should win.
Big Baby
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Has anyone seen Big Baby in this series? Has he even played? Although you may not have seen him, he has played, he has just played poorly. He has been a non-factor all series and is seemingly invisible out there.
He was replaced in the crunch-time lineup and his confidence is gone. I don't know what to expect from him given his lack of confidence and the fact that he generally has played his best basketball in the playoffs. But in any case, he needs to step it up and the series could depend on his ability to do that.
Rajon Rondo
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It is no secret that the play of Rajon Rondo was limited by his elbow injury (that does not excuse his missed layup). How bad the injury still is, I don't know. But in any case, he still needs to play a little better. Mainly, he must take better care of the ball and set the tempo. He can do this injured or not, and he needs to in order for them to win.
