But they finished outside the top 10 in three of the previous four seasons, even when they reached the Finals in 20. The Warriors were routinely in the top five in defensive efficiency between 20 when they won their first two titles with this core. "Probably something we shouldn't do as much," Udoka said of the complaining. Udoka was nearly ejected in the fourth quarter when he pointed at referee Tony Brothers in anger and Brothers confronted him instead of tossing him. On Monday, they drew two technical fouls, including one from Udoka, who usually tries to get his players to stop whining and get back on defense after they don't get a preferred whistle. Regardless of the accuracy of the calls, it's not a trend that typically helps them. When the Celtics get sloppy on offense, they regularly look to the officials for answers. "Clearly, we're easy to beat when we do." "We're hard to beat when we don't turn the ball over," said Tatum, who is closing in on the playoff turnover record after adding four to his total Monday to make it 95 in 23 games. In a stat that has become ubiquitous, the Celtics are now 1-7 when they turn it over 16 times or more in the postseason and 13-2 with fewer.Įvery Boston player knows this Udoka has displayed it in bold type on the scouting reports. The turnovers, meanwhile, continue to come in droves. They are refusing to give Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics' primary ball handlers, much space. The Warriors have dedicated themselves to playing rough - and not just because Draymond Green did some minor pushing during dead balls in the first few games. The defensively potent Celtics are on the verge of costing themselves a title. When the Celtics lost Game 2, they scored. The Celtics aren't shutting down the Warriors, but they are managing on that end. Golden State is shooting 45% in the series, which is good, but 7% less than the last round. They are averaging 105 points per game in this series, 10 fewer than they scored in the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks. In Game 2, their other win, they scored 107. Wiggins put up a sublime 26-point effort Monday, which probably could be classified as the best game of his pro career considering the stakes, and the Warriors scored. "I don't know if it was our defense as much as offensive struggles that hurt us tonight." "Again," Udoka said, repeating himself from last week when he was peppered with questions about Curry. And as he and his team take the five-hour flight back to the East Coast on Tuesday, he'll be working on those issues more intently as he prepares for Game 6. Udoka, the Celtics' first-year coach, did make some adjustments to his defensive game plan against Curry, namely having his big men crowd him more after screens and employing more switches to discourage the kind of shooting Curry had been displaying in the series.īut he spent more time before Game 5 worrying about Boston's offense. When you watch the game, it's not just about that. "I can't control the narratives however people talk about the game. "I know that's the thing people notice at first, consistently, how well I shoot my ball, how I shoot my shots, that flair," Curry said. These Finals are being won at the other end of the court, the Warriors' defense suffocating the Celtics and negating Boston's game plan.Īnd that's how fans who were pouring out of Chase Center Monday night explained it, too, after watching Curry go 0-for-9 on 3-pointers, the first time in four years and 233 games he didn't make a triple. 1 defense going against the historic shooting wizard and his brothers in arms - but because of the exact opposite. But the Warriors are not ahead 3-2 because they're winning the anticipated battle of the series - Boston's relentless and expertly constructed No. The Golden State Warriors are one win from claiming another title after a 104-94 Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics Monday night. SAN FRANCISCO - The highlights of the Stephen Curry 3-pointers, Robert Williams' blocked shots and, now, Andrew Wiggins' dunks, continue to run as the premier moments in the 2022 NBA Finals.Ĭeltics coach Ime Udoka keeps trying to tell everyone they're missing the point. NBA, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics NBA Finals 2022: How the Golden State Warriors are suffocating the Boston Celtics' game plan You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |