The shorthanded Boston Celtics couldn't stop Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, resulting in a 118-107 loss on Tuesday night. Ime Udoka's Celtics squad had a strong start to the game but eventually fell victim to the Heat's rampage in the third quarter, which haunted them for the remainder of the contest.

 

Now down in the series, the Celtics must quickly adjust and learn from their lapses heading into Thursday's Game 2 in Miami. They surely don't want to find themselves in a deep hole against a Heat side that is hungry to work their way toward another NBA Finals appearance this season.

With that said, let's take a look at the four biggest adjustments the Celtics must make after losing Game 1 to the Heat.

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Biggest Celtics adjustments after Game 1 loss to Heat

4. Lessen the turnovers

The Heat flipped the script in Game 1 by using their ferocious defense to force a bevy of Celtics miscues. Boston committed 16 turnovers in the game, including eight in the third quarter alone. 12 of Miami's 19 points off turnovers came in the third quarter, with Jimmy Butler even getting back-to-back pick-6s.

Jayson Tatum committed six of his seven turnovers in that third quarter. While the Heat's defense obviously deserves a ton of credit, some of these turnovers were simply the result of laziness. Tatum must take better care of the ball as the Celtics' main main in order for his team not to fall victim to their own mistakes in Game 2.

Given Boston won the other three quarters besides the third, a bit more focus and ball control in the third likely would have resulted in a win. The Celtics can't afford those lapses against a team as good as Miami.

3. Limit the fouls on Jimmy Butler

Containing Jimmy Butler on offense is one thing, but limiting him from getting to the line is another. The Celtics failed to do both as the six-time All-Star relentlessly carved his way in the paint, which helped him explode for another high-scoring game for the Heat. In Game 1, Butler came out with 41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks in 41 minutes of action. The Heat outscored the Celtics by 25 points with Butler on the court.

17 of Butler's points came from the free-throw line on 18 attempts. Yes, it's certainly hard to stop a player like Butler, who has a high motor and is capable of drawing fouls on his defenders on the way to the basket. However, Boston must play more disciplined defense and not fall victim to so many of his pump fakes.

Butler did take advantage of Payton Pritchard's defense, hunting him on switches. Pritchard won't play as much when Marcus Smart is back, and Al Horford's presence should help as well whenever he returns from COVID-19. Still, even with those guys in the lineup, the Celtics must be disciplined when defending Butler.

2. Come out of halftime with a stronger effort

Erik Spoelstra's squad has been known to have strong third-quarter performances dating back to their series against the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. In Game 1 against the Celtics, it was no different as Boston ended the first half with a 62-54 advantage. Refusing to go down easily, the Heat came out of halftime with more aggressiveness and blew the doors off Boston.

Good execution on both ends of the floor allowed Miami to put up a 39-point outing in the third quarter while limiting their opponent to only 14 points. The Heat used a 22-2 run out of the break to totally flip the game.

After seeing how Miami played in the third quarter of Game 1, Boston should be more prepared to match the intensity of its opponent coming out of halftime for the remainder of the series. As noted before, that also means playing with more focus and discipline so as not to give the Heat so many easy opportunities to turn the tide.

1. The Celtics' supporting cast must step up in Game 2

Heading to a highly important Game 1, the Celtics drew a bit of bad luck as they lost Marcus Smart because of a foot sprain suffered in Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Al Horford, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career, was also sidelined after entering health and safety protocols.

Without a couple of key players, the Celtics had to count on their active players in order to step up and fill in the holes vacated by their veterans. Jayson Tatum tallied his usual numbers of 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, though he struggled in the second half after exploding in the first. Jaylen Brown contributed 24 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists, but he got off to an awful start before coming on strong late.

Payton Pritchard also got to see significant floor action and produced 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 30 minutes played, but he was targeted on defense. Robert Williams was a legitimate bright spot with 18 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 28 minutes as he returned from a knee injury.

However, guys like Grant Williams and Derrick White must step up more after having dismal outputs in Game 1 with only seven and three points, respectively. With Smart out, youngster Aaron Nesmith got some tick, and while he had some nasty blocks, he was a zero on offense.

The Celtics are hoping Smart and Horford will be back soon. If they both miss Game 2, Boston will need others to step up on both ends. Even if they do play, it will be crucial to put together a better team performance on the road in order to tie this series up.