Marc D'Amico

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From a one-possession game to a 14-point game – all in the span of just two minutes and 25 seconds.

The Celtics smelled blood in the water early in the fourth quarter, they attacked, and they killed their opponent to punch their way into yet another Eastern Conference Finals.

Four of Boston’s players combined to score 13 points during a critical 13-2 run from the 9:10 mark of the fourth to the 6:45 mark. The final basket of the stretch, a 3-pointer from Jayson Tatum, splashed through the net and forced Cleveland to call for a timeout to regroup its troops.

That 14-point lead, however, was already plenty of cushion for Boston to close out the win.

Jrue Holiday opened the run with a floater and Derrick White followed that bucket up with a 3-pointer. Following a layup by Cleveland’s Darius Garland, Al Horford then connected on one of his six 3-pointers on the night to bump Boston’s lead out to nine. Horford then scored an uncontested layup at the rim off of a beautiful drive and dish from Jaylen Brown, before Tatum connected on his triple to force Cleveland into a timeout.

Boston’s lead never dropped below nine from that moment on before it polished off a 113-98 victory. The Celtics will now appear in their third consecutive Eastern Conference Finals, and their sixth in the last eight years.

Q4 :56.4 - [BOS 113-96] Horford 3pt Shot: Made (22 PTS) Assist: Holiday (4 AST)

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 113, Cavaliers 98

Max Strus made two mistakes in one second of play, which set the Celtics up to slam the door closed on Game 4 with a 3-1 series lead.

With Cleveland trailing by only five points and with less than 90 seconds remaining in the contest, Strus misfired on a 3-pointer from the top of the arc on a shot that could have made it a one-possession game. Instead, Jaylen Brown rose up at the free-throw line to grab the rebound, all while Strus reached in and fouled him. That foul was the sixth of the night for Strus.

So all in a second of time, Strus missed the opportunity to make it a one-possession game, he fouled Brown to put Boston on the edge of the bonus, and he fouled himself out of the game. That last part looms large, given that Strus had drilled a game-high five 3-pointers to that point of the game.

Brown immediately followed up Strus’ blunders with a knockout triple of his own from the right wing. That’s where Jayson Tatum found him for a 3-pointer that pushed Boston ahead 105-97 with 69 seconds left on the clock and ostensibly ended the game for Cleveland.

So Strus made the big mistakes, and Brown drilled the big shot, all to help the Celtics take a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Boston.

Q4 1:09 - [BOS 105-97] Brown 3pt Shot: Made (27 PTS) Assist: Tatum (5 AST)

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 109, Cavaliers 102

The Boston Celtics have raised eyebrows this season with a dramatic increase in one particular type of play.

The coaching staff has acknowledged it. The analytics staff has acknowledged it. The media has commented on it.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the era of the tip rebound.

There is no questioning the fact that Boston’s players have increased their frequency of purposefully tipping rebounds to their teammates at both ends of the court this season. Since the start of the campaign, some form of nonverbal communication has seemingly led to a Celtics franchise record of tip rebounds. This development has oftentimes led to either second-chance scoring opportunities on offense, or transition possessions out of the defensive end.

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Tip Rebounds

To be clear, this is totally anecdotal information at this point that is substantiated only by the eye test, as tip rebounds are not tracked by any public website, nor by Boston’s internal analytics team. But within the walls of the locker room, there is an acknowledgment that there has been an uptick in this department this season.

“Yeah, I think so,” Sam Hauser acknowledged of an increase in controlled tips this season for Boston. “I think we’ve put more of an emphasis on getting to the offensive glass, just trying to get extra possessions.”

Hauser’s take is in perfect harmony with that of Boston’s coaching staff.

Celtics assistant coach DJ MacLeay, who spends much of his time working with Boston’s big men, said that the team has never directly coached the play or instructed players to tip rebounds to teammates. Instead, he says, the increase in tip rebounds this season is a result of a shift in overall approach to team rebounding.

“I think it’s a natural byproduct of crashing and offensive rebounding,” MacLeay said to Celtics Insiders of the increase in tip rebounds. “I think it’s something that we do talk about through the lens of offensive rebounding. It’s through the lens of getting closer to the rim and making it a point of crashing the basket after the shot goes up and crashing the paint, just to give ourselves an opportunity at a second chance so that we’re putting ourselves in a good position to win the margins and maintain the shot margin with other teams.”

Shot margin has been a talking point for Joe Mazzulla all season long. He has constantly told both the team and the media how important it is to win that category. The reasoning behind this approach is tied to simple math: if you take more shots than the opponent, you have a greater opportunity to score more points than the opponent.

Boston’s analytics team diagnosed rebounding as a growth opportunity with relation to shot margin and relayed that to the coaching staff this past offseason. Mazzulla and his staff took that information and ran with it. However, it’s up to the players to both embrace that analytical data and act on it during game action. And they have.

It has also appeared to the naked eye that team chemistry has played a role in Boston’s increase of tip rebounds. It’s one thing to tip a rebound to a teammate who isn’t expecting it. It’s another thing to tip a rebound to a teammate after you’ve locked eyes and you both know what’s about to happen.

The latter is what has occurred time and time again this season for this group of Celtics, who MacLeay calls “the most connected group I’ve ever been a part of in the NBA.” The heightened connectivity has generated an unparalleled amount of nonverbal communication on the court, with tip rebounds being just one example.

As MacLeay made sure to mention, though, this entire conversation is predicated upon that initial emphasis of throwing as many bodies at the glass as possible. That emphasis is the genesis of all things tip rebounds.

“I think in general, being engaged in the rebounding creates a connectivity,” MacLeay said. “You can’t have a great tip rebound without having more bodies in there. So I think the concerted effort we made as a staff and as a team was to teach and coach to the proximity, getting into the paint, being more aware and having a greater understanding of that rebounding, then you create those connections because you’re there.”

Next time you watch the Celtics, take note of how often the Celtics are there, crashing the glass as a unit. Then you’ll be able to wrap your head around what’s creating all of these tip rebound opportunities.

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Behind the Scenes on Boston's New Rebounding Fad: the 'Tip Rebound'

Dominant from the jump. That’s what the Boston Celtics were Wednesday night. They smelled blood in the water, and they went in for the kill.

Boston pulled ahead 7-2 during the first two-plus minutes of action as the offense set the tone for an incredible first quarter of play. The C’s went on to pull ahead by as many as 18 points during the opening frame while dropping 41 points on the Heat.

To put that scoring outburst into perspective, Miami didn’t reach 41 points until the 4:33 mark of the second quarter.

This blowout got underway with 4:26 left in the first quarter when Jayson Tatum dropped in a technical free throw following a coach’s challenge from the Celtics. Tatum’s freebie initiated an 11-0 run, all of which was scored from beyond the arc or at the free-throw line, that helped Boston double Miami up by a count of 32-16 with 2:18 left in the frame.

That wasn’t the last time the Celtics doubled Miami up (or more), either. Boston cruised its way to the winner’s circle and directly into the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Q1 6:02 - [BOS 15-11] White Driving Dunk Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Horford (2 AST)

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 118, Heat 84

Derrick White sure does like Miami, doesn’t he?

White was at the core of Boston’s 15-2 run midway through the first quarter of Game 4, a run which propelled the Celtics to another runaway win on the road. He accounted for 11 of the 15 points, including eight in a span of just 57 seconds to jumpstart Boston’s dominant night.

The 15-2 run was initiated by Kristaps Porzingis connecting on two free throws at the 7:26 mark. White then got into the act with his eight-point run before Jaylen Brown added in a free throw and a putback layup. White then ended the run with a 3-pointer at the 3:39 mark to push Boston ahead 29-14.

At that moment, White had already reached 16 points in the quarter. That number matched his postseason career high for points in a quarter. And he and the Celtics were just getting started.

Boston’s lead remained in double-figures for the remainder of the night while White went on to notch a new career high in the scoring column. The Celtics pulled ahead by as many as 28 points before completing the 102-88 win.

Miami’s defensive game plan is to limit Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The problem for the Heat is that they forgot about Derrick White.

White stole Miami’s playoff slogan and was White Hot Monday night while piling up a game-high 38 points. That number stands as not only a new playoff career high, but a new overall career high for the seventh-year guard.

White shot a scorching-hot 15-for-26 from the field, including an 8-for-15 performance from long distance. His eight 3-pointers were just one shy of Miami’s team total of nine.

That’s not the only category where White competed with Miami’s team total. He also blocked three shots to match all of Miami’s players combined in that category.

White rounded out his box score with four boards and three assists during his nearly 41 minutes of action.

"Once you make a couple, the basket looks huge."

- Derrick White after scoring a career-high 38 points during Game 4

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 102, Heat 88

Boston dominated Game 3 from start to finish, all while delivering a message to the Heat that their shocking Game 2 victory had no chance of being repeated Saturday night.

The Celtics scored the first points of the night off a 3-pointer from Kristaps Porzingis and never looked back from there. They eventually pulled ahead by as many as 29 points, all while never trailing for a single second.

Bam Adebayo did answer Porzingis’ 3-pointer with a conventional three-point play of his own to knot things up at 3-3. However, the Celtics were off and running from there.

Boston scored the game’s next nine points to pull ahead 12-3 and to take early control of the game. All nine of those points were scored by the dynamic duo of Cookies & Cream.

Cream, AKA Porzingis, jumpstarted the run with five straight points, the first two coming off an alley-oop slam from Jrue Holiday, and the next three arriving from beyond the arc off a dish from Jayson Tatum. Cookies, AKA Jaylen Brown, then got into the mix with a driving layup and a tip-in off a missed 3-pointer from Derrick White.

While Porzingis and Brown were scoring nine straight, Boston’s defense was putting the clamps down on Miami’s offense at the other end of the floor. The Celtics forced Miami into nine consecutive misses and a turnover following Adebayo’s early bucket.

The game might as well have ended there, with the Celtics leading 12-3 at the 6:20 mark. All Boston did was pull away from there before coasting into the winner’s circle to take a 2-1 series lead.

The Jays tied each other for Game 3’s top scoring mark, so how do we break the tie? On this night, it’s by efficiency and defensive numbers, so Jaylen Brown gets the nod.

Brown tied Jayson Tatum for the game’s top scoring mark with 22 points. He scored those points on 11-for-20 shooting from the field, good for a 55 percent conversion rate. That field goal percentage was the highest in the game among the seven players who attempted at least 10 shots. Brown also added in three assists at the offensive end, while committing just one turnover.

The star wing put in work at the defensive end, too. He grabbed six defensive boards and eight rebounds overall to finish second on the team in that category, trailing only Tatum’s 11 total rebounds. Brown led the game in steals with two and tied Miami’s team total with that number. He also was one of four Celtics to block a shot during the game, as he swatted away one shot.

"We had two days off, so any days off after a loss in the Playoffs is tough. So we were just ready to come out here and play. We played right poise on both ends of the floor, and we gotta repeat it on Monday."

- Jayson Tatum on bouncing back from Game 2

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 104, Heat 84

If you’re a Celtics fan and feel like you relived a nightmare Wednesday night, we have news for you: You are not alone.

A year after playing Boston and putting forth one of the most shocking 3-point performances over an entire series in NBA history, Miami did it again – at least for one game – Wednesday at TD Garden.

The Heat shot an incredible 53.5 percent from long range during Game 2 while tying for the third-most 3-pointers ever made in an NBA playoff game, with 23. Tyler Herro was the head of the snake for Miami as he made six 3-pointers, while old foe Caleb Martin rediscovered his magic from last postseason to shoot 5-for-6 from distance.

Miami’s 3-point shooting was the difference in the game. The Heat outscored Boston by 33 points from beyond the arc and never caught a cold spell. As such, there was never an opportunity for the Celtics to stage a comeback.

The closest Boston got during the fourth quarter was five points at the 6:22 mark. That moment, which featured an and-one driving layup by Derrick White, was promptly followed by a 3-pointer from Haywood Highsmith. Moments later, after a Jaylen Brown scored a driving layup, Miami answered with another 3-pointer from Jaime Jaquez Jr.

That 3-pointer was the back-breaker. It pushed Miami ahead by nine with 5:37 to go, and the Celtics never cut that deficit to fewer than six from that moment on.

Jaylen Brown’s Game 1 did not live up to his standards. He certainly responded during Game 2 by pouring in a game-high 33 points against Miami.

Brown found his rhythm during the second quarter, and particularly at the end of that frame, to fuel his big night. He canned three 3-pointers in a span of just 58 seconds, and then finished the half with a running layup to push Boston ahead by three points at the break.

He finished the contest having shot 13-for-23 from the field and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed eight rebounds to tie three other teammates for the top mark on the team, all while tallying an assist, a steal and a blocked shot over 37-plus minutes of action.

"We've been built on taking what the defense gives us and being able to win in different ways. And so over the course of the season, winning the shot margin the way that we did, and from the free-throw line, more offensive rebounds and less turnovers, that's a recipe for long-term success."

- Joe Mazzulla's outlook following Game 2

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Keys to the Game: Heat 111, Celtics 101

Jayson Tatum tallied his first career playoff triple-double while leading Boston to a 114-94 win during Sunday’s Game 1 against Miami. He assisted on eight of the team’s first 12 points as they opened the game with a 12-0 (and eventually, a 14-0) run.

The path Tatum took toward notching his 10 assists was not a straight one. He generated open looks for the Celtics in a variety of ways as he navigated Miami’s complex defense. So let’s dig in and break down all the different ways the superstar wing set his teammates up for success throughout the contest.

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Assist by Jayson Tatum

Boston went to Tatum in the post on the very first possession of the game, which is typically a statement of how a team is going to approach a game. Tatum posts up on Caleb Martin and, as he makes his move, he draws not one, not two, but three defenders.

Tatum missed the dunk but grabbed his own rebound, and as a result of the attention he drew on his initial move, he had a pick-em opportunity of which teammate to pass to for an open 3-pointer. Among the options were Jaylen Brown on the left wing, Derrick White at the top of the arc, and Jrue Holiday on the right wing. He chose Brown, and Brown promptly drilled the triple for the first points of the game.

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As Nikola Jokvic said after Game 1, “Last year was easier (to defend the Celtics) because they didn’t have (Kristaps) Porzingis.” Porzingis’ presence as a 7-foot-2 big man who can shoot has put Miami’s defense in a bind all season long, including Sunday afternoon.

That’s why Tatum made it a point to hit KP with entry passes as often as possible to let the big man go to work. He did so on the possession above when he saw Porzingis defended by 6-foot-5 Tyler Herro. When Tatum can find KP in that type of matchup, it’s almost an automatic bucket. It’s as simple as making the shot.

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This time around, it’s Porzingis posting up, drawing a double-team, and kicking out to Tatum at the top of the arc. This sends Miami’s defense into scramble mode.

When Tatum catches this ball, he has two options: shoot it over the rotating defender (Martin), or pass to an even more open teammate (Jrue Holiday). Most superstars would take the open shot, but Tatum gives a “one more” pass to Holiday, who promptly drills the 3.

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This is my favorite play of the day from Tatum. Just an absurd skip pass to Sam Hauser through heavy traffic – right on the money for a wide-open 3.

Look at the floor as Holiday completes his screen for Tatum. He’s basically trapped by Herro and Haywood Highsmith. No one is really “open” to pass to. But Tatum knows exactly what Al Horford is about to do, and that is cut to the basket, which will not only draw Adebayo out of position but will also leave open space for Hauser to lift to. Tatum sees it happening before it even happens, then throws a laser on the money to Hauser for an open triple.

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Now let’s take a look at Tatum taking the ball off the dribble and making simple reads to skilled teammates for baskets. First, there’s this assist to Derrick White for an uncontested 3. Tatum is picked up by Adebayo in transition and immediately goes to work with a rip-through and blow-by to the basket. He beats Adebayo with his first dribble and draws in Jaime Jaquez Jr., who pulls in to provide some help defense.

This is as easy as it gets. Beat your man off the dribble, draw two defenders, and make the easy read for a pass to an open 40 percent 3-point shooter. Three points, all day.

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Here’s another play off the dribble with a bit more nuance. Horford runs a pick-and-pop with Tatum in a deadly situation for Miami, as its two bigs are involved in the action. Rather than leaving the aging Kevin Love on an island to defend Tatum, Adebayo commits to trapping Tatum along with Love.

Tatum can already feel the trap developing here. So he just drags it out and drifts into space on the right wing. This is not done without intention; Tatum knows exactly where he’s going, and what it will lead to. Once he draws the full commit from Adebayo and Love and creates space and a passing lane to Horford, he whips a perfect pass back to the big man – yet another 40 percent 3-point shooter – for another open 3.

We already saw one example of Tatum passing a teammate open. The pass above to Hauser was not thrown to where Hauser was, but to where Hauser will be. Watch it again, closely.

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Here’s another example of passing a teammate open. This is Tatum’s 10th and final assist of the day. A lazy pass would have simply landed in White’s hands with White a few feet behind the 3-point line while giving his defender, Delon Wright, a smaller gap to close to challenge a shot. Look where White and his defender are when Tatum begins the passing motion.

Now look where White and his defender are when White catches the ball.

Tatum has shown throughout his career that he’s more than capable of beating opponents with his passing. That skill has been accentuated this season by the arrival of even more skill around him in Boston’s lineup. He averaged a career-high 4.9 assists per game this season, and with that in mind, we should all expect plenty of dimes from him this postseason as he picks apart defenses in a variety of ways.