How the Celtics’ core got just the right lift in Game 5 victory – Yahoo Sports

BOSTON – Gerald Green’s locker sits in the middle of the Celtics’ locker room, flanked by those occupied by Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, pre-teens when Green made his NBA debut. Green is what amounts to a grizzled veteran here; 31, a 10-year NBA vet with 30 playoff games under his belt. He suited up for a dozen postseason games for Miami last season, which alone would put him among baby-faced Boston’s career leaders.

Boston beat Chicago 108-97 on Wednesday, and first the obvious: Rajon Rondo’s injury has radically changed this series. Rondo shredded Boston’s defense in the first two games, masterfully orchestrating the Bulls’ offense, reminding the TD Garden crowd of the player who was instrumental in putting banner No. 17 in the rafters. The broken thumb that has sidelined Rondo the last three games in this best-of-seven, first-round series has crippled Chicago’s offense, with Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg an Isaiah Canaan injury from holding “Invincible”-style tryouts for the point-guard position.

Yet something else has happened: Boston has learned how to win. The playoffs are an extension of the regular season, but the two couldn’t be more different. Rotations are shortened. Mistakes are tolerated less. Change comes swiftly. Amir Johnson was a staple in Boston’s starting lineup this season; he’s been DNP-CD for two straight games. Jaylen Brown averaged 20 minutes a game in April; he’s on mop-up duty today.

Al Horford had 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in Game 5. (AP)Al Horford had 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in Game 5. (AP)

The Celtics are a non-traditional top seed. The core – Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford and Avery Bradley – is experienced, yet much of the rest of the roster is not. Playoff experience is limited to a pair of first-round exits the last two seasons – with just two wins to show for it.

Boston could have lost Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas (1 of 10 from 3-point range) was mediocre, while the Bulls’ Robin Lopez, a casualty of Boston’s small lineup the previous two games, was back wreaking havoc on the glass. Dwyane Wade (26 points) had his best scoring game of the series for Chicago, and Canaan (13 points) had a second straight strong game.

Boston didn’t lose Wednesday, and its young pieces were a big reason why. Kelly Olynyk – whose crowning playoff achievement to this point was sabotaging Cleveland’s 2015 playoff run by wrenching Kevin Love’s shoulder out of its socket – chipped in 14 points. Marcus Smart (playoff experience: 14 games) was part of the defensive effort that limited Jimmy Butler to 14 points. Terry Rozier (with eight playoff games) tacked on five points. Scoring with Thomas off the floor, a season-long problem, has not been anywhere near as glaring in this series.

“You can’t really explain playoff intensity,” Green told The Vertical. “You just have to go through it. The playoffs are a learning experience. You are always learning something new.”

For Boston, it’s this: Thomas can’t carry this team alone. The Celtics’ 53 wins this season were forged through Thomas’ brilliance and a prolific 3-point attack. Yet the Bulls, dysfunctional for much of the season, are built for the playoffs, with experience, rebounding and a diverse half-court attack. That Thomas has been able to lean on others to help Boston overcome a 2-0 deficit is a testament to how far the team has come.

Consider: In Game 3, Boston held a 10-point lead when Thomas checked out with four minutes left in the third. When he returned six minutes into the fourth, the lead had swelled to 15. On Wednesday, Boston finished with four players in double figures, with Smart (eight points) a bucket away.

“Obviously two years ago, when we played Cleveland, I thought we played pretty well and it wasn’t even close,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Last year, I thought we played a little better. [This year] our first two games didn’t go so hot, but I think we have learned a lot through all that. It’s tough to win an NBA basketball game, let alone a game at this level, and this level of intensity with the guys on the other team.”

Boston is one win from advancing, and suddenly a season once on the brink of disaster looks salvageable. When the joy of Wednesday’s victory tapered off, Green issued a warning to the young guys within earshot: Chicago won’t go into the offseason willingly. “I’ve been saying it, the hardest thing to do in the playoffs is close out a series,” Green said. “They are going to give everything they have got. There is no quit in them.”

One game, one win, and the potential Boston showed flashes of this season can still be fulfilled. The Wizards – a probable second-round opponent – look vulnerable, and a path to a conference finals berth is there for the taking. Credit Thomas for his fourth-quarter brilliance, Bradley for his defense, Horford for his all-around play. They are Boston’s backbone, its critically important talent. Yet when they have needed help the last three games, they have gotten it. The Celtics young talent is growing up.

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How the Celtics’ core got just the right lift in Game 5 victory – Yahoo Sports