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The Boston Celtics punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat after a thrilling seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Without Khris Middleton, the defending champions didn't have enough to send Boston home, and the convincing 109-81 victory has the Celtics in good spirits.
However, there is little time to celebrate as Boston must now face off against the top-seeded Heat. The opening game of this series will tip off on Tuesday in South Beach. While the Heat are certainly a worthy challenge, the Celtics should feel great about their chances of advancing to the 2022 NBA Finals for these three reasons.
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Why Celtics will turn down Heat to reach 2022 NBA Finals
Celtics Are Battle-Tested
The Celtics produced one of the most impressive season turnarounds in recent history. After struggling through the first half of the season, they made some notable stylistic and defensive adjustments that changed everything, as well as some roster changes. The Celtics are just the third team in NBA history to be under .500 halfway through the season and finish with a record above .600. At the halfway point this season, the Celtics were 20-21 with an uncertain playoff outlook. In the final 41 games of the season, the Celtics finished with a 31-10 record.
This level of play has not stopped since the start of the postseason. The Celtics have had arguably the most difficult postseason path of any team. Boston began its playoff run against the Brooklyn Nets, who were still the Eastern Conference betting favorites despite the poor regular season. The Celtics sent the Nets packing in four games with a convincing series sweep.
The Celtics proved this was no fluke after going toe-to-toe with Giannis and the Bucks in a seven-game matchup. Taking down two teams of drastically different strengths and styles of play is a difficult task. It is rare that a team has to beat two legitimate title contenders to get to the conference finals, but the Celtics have done exactly this. While Giannis' presence is the biggest X-Factor of any player on the two teams, there are some similarities between the Bucks and Heat. Taking down Milwaukee should have Boston confident for this matchup.
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Al Horford's Play
There is plenty of praise to go around for the Celtics' success thus far. However, one guy who continues to quietly be a major reason for the Celtics' strong play is Al Horford. The 35-year-old has seen a career revival in his return to Boston and is essential to the team's style of play. In the conference semis, Horford averaged 13.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals. He did a little bit of everything for the team on both ends of the floor.
The offensive production was worth noting, but Horford's biggest impact was on the other side of the ball. Big Al matched up with Giannis for a good portion of the series and held his own. The Greek Freak was held to a 36.7% mark overall when guarded by Horford. The Celtics big man also blocked seven of his shots and forced 13 turnovers when guarding Giannis.
While their skill set is very different, Horford's play will also be extremely important when matched up with Bam Adebayo. The Heat will be certain to look to get their big man involved, and Horford will be tasked with preventing this. There could also be times when he gets the Jimmy Butler assignment. Expect the veteran to be up for the challenge.
2-Way Role Players
Both the Heat and the Celtics deserve a ton of credit for the number of complementary role players they have assembled. The margin for error is so small in the postseason and each roster hole is magnified. One concern on the Miami Heat's side is if too many of their role players are one-dimensional. Guys like Tyler Herro, Max Strus, and Duncan Robinson provide an important offensive punch but can be taken advantage of defensively.
In contrast, the Celtics have done an excellent job finding two-way players for the supporting cast. No one deserves more credit for their play in Game 7 than Grant Williams. The Tennesse product was left open by the Bucks' defense and capitalized on the opportunity. Williams scored a career-high 27 points, knocking down seven 3-pointers and leading the team in field goal attempts. His physicality on Giannis also played a major role in the Celtics' success.
Grant Williams is far from the only example of this. Boston is loaded with complementary pieces who can impose themselves on both sides of the ball. Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Robert Williams are all sure to play a major role as well. The Celtics cannot afford to lose focus but should feel great about their chances heading into this series.
There are now just four remaining teams with their championship aspirations still on the table, and the Celtics may be the ones in the driver's seat.
