This is one of the major themes of the Celtics season, and in particular on these Playoffs: turnovers. When Boston takes care of the ball, we end up with a very complicated team to beat because of its defensive solidity. Conversely, when ball losses are linked, the Greens are immediately more vulnerable. Unfortunately for C’s fans, we got the second version last night.
If Ime Udoka’s men took the series lead in Game 1, it wasn’t just because they caught fire from afar. It’s also because they limited the gifts to the opponent by losing “only” 12 balls, an honest total once morest a defense like Golden State in an NBA Finals game. Tonight ? It wasn’t really the same story: 18 turnovers in all, including 11 in the first half alone and even 7 in the first quarter. Of these 18 turnovers, a good fifteen were made in the game (without the ball coming out and without the game stopping as on a passage in force for example). Results ? 30 points offered to the opponent. Inevitably that makes the difference when it comes to doing the accounts. Not only do you burn a cartridge every time you lose a ball in attack, but it also often allows the team opposite to have easy opportunities in transition. And if there is one thing that coach Ime Udoka hates, it is offering baskets to the opponent without his formidable defense being able to do anything regarding it. For the Boston strongman, his players failed to protect the swell enough once morest the intensity of Golden State’s defense, and too often looked for the fault instead of attacking with authority.
“It’s disappointing to give up 33 points on 19 turnovers [18 au total, ndlr.]. This is one of the constant themes on these Playoffs. When we do that, we are in trouble. We had 11 turnovers for 18 points in the first half, then five or six more in the third. It widened the gap and also disrupted our attack. We weren’t as sharp in the movement of the ball and the passes followingwards. »
– Ime Udoka, en post-match press conference
Turnovers are clearly the Celtics’ barometer for these 2022 Playoffs. We’ve looked at the stats for each game since the start of the first round and the numbers don’t lie:
- Record of the Celtics when they lose at least 15 balls: 1 win – 5 losses
- Record of the Celtics when they lose less than 15 balls: 12 wins – 2 losses
Obviously, for any basketball team, the chances of winning are higher when the ball losses are lower. Nothing crazy here. But it is perhaps even more true for the Celtics as they are difficult to play on the half-court. When this team avoids giving points in transition and is focused on defending its basket, the opposing attack can quickly be stifled by the versatility and physical impact of the defense of the Greens. So ask the Warriors what they thought following Game 1, they who were limited to only 16 points in the last twelve minutes of the first set. Long story short, Boston often holds the keys and with no disrespect to their previous opponents in these Playoffs, the Celtics have often lost when they shot themselves in the foot. So of course, some turnovers are directly caused by the opposing defense, and it is clear that the Warriors did the job at this level that night. But we have lost count of the number of times Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. have been clumsy or reckless with the ball in their hands, allowing opposing teams to revive offensively when they might be in difficulty on attack. placed.
Cursed turnovers! The Celtics can be the most solid team in the NBA when they are careful not to lose the ball, and turn into an average team when they are losing balls. We already know Ime Udoka’s priority for Game 3 on Wednesday evening, and it’s the same in every game: taking care of the ball.
