It was far from pretty, but the Boston Celtics took a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat with a 102-88 victory on Monday night.
Normally, a double-digit win like this would be hard to complain about, especially in the postseason. However, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis exited the contest late in the second quarter due to tightness in his right calf. The Latvian big man will have some imaging done on Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury, per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Porzingis aside, there was still a pivotal game to be won for Boston. So, let's take a further look at Boston's Game 4 win of this first-round series with three takeaways.
The dominance of Derrick White
A lot can be pulled from a single game, yet this showdown boiled down to one player: Derrick White.
On offense, White was torching the Heat all night long. He had 16 of Boston's 34 points in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 38 points. Whenever the Celtics were struggling, White was providing huge bucket after huge bucket and went a stellar 8-for-15 from deep. The Heat only had nine triples as a team.
It wasn't just his offense that gave the Heat trouble, though. The Colorado native had a game-high three blocks while the Heat only had three blocks on the entire evening. None of this should be a complete surprise for those who've watched White closely this year, as he had one of the best regular seasons of his career and finished with more blocks than Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and other stars who tower over him.
“It's unreal,” White said following his terrific showing, per Bobby Krivitsky of SI.com. “I think any person that kind of gets a couple going in, and you start making some tough ones, and you feel like you just can't miss; that basket's huge, and it's awesome, a lot of fun.”
During a game in which Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown weren't great, it was pivotal to have White at his very best.
Kristaps Porzingis' injury raises a lot of questions
The 2024 NBA Playoffs have been filled with injuries, and the Celtics are just the latest team to be struck by bad luck.
Although the overall health of Porzingis isn't known yet, it's good to know that he was in high spirits after the win. Porzingis gave White a special shoutout and insisted he “will be good.”
Boston will now have to answer some important questions with the first-year Celtic possibly sidelined for Game 5. Who receives the brunt of the backup center minutes behind Al Horford? Will Adebayo see different defensive looks with no Porzingis? Who will step up in Porzingis' absence?
In Game 4, White answered the call. For Game 5, which is on Wednesday night at TD Garden, it can't just be him. The Celtics will need Tatum and Brown to return to form and have bench shooters Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser connect more consistently.
To close out the pesky Heat, injured or not, the C's must put up a 48-minute effort. Miami is well-coached and has historically played well in Boston, meaning now is not the time for complacency for the Green Team.
The Celtics' offensive rebounding has been a major boost
Along with hot 3-point shooting and forcing turnovers, generating extra possessions through offensive rebounding is crucial for teams seeking an upset.
Despite the Celtics having lackluster perimeter defense in Game 2 and getting a little careless with the ball in Game 4, they've largely owned the offensive glass. For the series, they have 37 offensive boards to Miami's 26.
On Monday, Boston recorded 11 offensive rebounds and outscored the Heat 12-10 in second-chance points. That's not a gigantic margin by any means, yet it's enough to boost a team's offense, especially when the long ball isn't falling.
In Game 3, the Celtics shot a forgettable 29.7% from deep. The very next game, they shot 37.8% from beyond the arc, with White accounting for eight of Boston's 14 triples. These subpar shooting performances can sink a team, but Boston has been able to make the most of its offensive rebounds when its overall offense grows stagnant.
A team can't always rely on second-chance points, but the Celtics will take the points where they can get them in a low-scoring series like this one.
Follow Us
Subscribe