The Boston Celtics have struggled with consistency all throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs, and Game 1 versus the Miami Heat was no different.

Although the C's had a double-digit lead in the third quarter, they quickly squandered it and let the Heat build a big lead of their own. Boston won every quarter except the third, and its lack of effort in the 123-116 loss was very concerning:

Miami forward Jimmy Butler was the go-to guy for the Heat, yet they also had the rest of their team step up as well. In fact, six out of the seven Miami players that had more than 10 minutes were in double figures. Clearly, the Heat were ready for the moment in the Eastern Conference Finals opener.

With the Heat up 1-0 in the series, Boston needs to bounce back. They managed to do so against the Philadelphia 76ers in their previous series, however, this Heat team is a lot tougher and debatably deeper. So in order to respond, here are four adjustments the Celtics must make after blowing Game 1 to the Miami Heat.

4. Celtics need to close out strong in every quarter

The C's have had a tendency to ease up at the worst times, and that issue once again appeared against the Heat.

Rather than the Celtics choking away the game in the fourth, they arguably lost it much earlier. Boston let up a whopping 46 points in the third quarter, with 13 of those coming with less than three minutes on the clock. The score was 90-85 with 2:46 left in the quarter, which wasn't great after leading by double-digits, yet a tight game nonetheless.

Then, Boston proceeded to give up three triples with less than two minutes to go in the quarter. That terrible close to a horrific stretch took a lot of energy out of the crowd and was unacceptable given the time remaining.

If the C's want to answer in Game 2, they'll have to execute whether there are 12 minutes or 12 seconds left on the clock.

3. Celtics need to defend the perimeter better

There are a lot of different factors that resulted in Boston dropping Game 1, but losing the 3-point battle was an especially significant one.

The Celtics only hit 10 of their 29 attempts from beyond the arc, while the Heat converted on 16 of their 31 attempts from deep. Rough shooting nights are going to happen, yet what was more problematic for the C's were the open looks Miami got. Most of the Heat role players were open on the 3-point line and punishing the Celtics for it more often than not.

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Against Philadelphia, the C's opted to cheat off some players camping around the arc. It worked for the most part, but it doesn't seem like that strategy will have the same success versus Miami. Shooters like Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Caleb Martin are too dangerous to be left alone. In Game 2, Boston will have to prioritize perimeter defense again if the Heat continue to connect on their triples.

2. Celtics should give Grant Williams or Sam Hauser a chance

A wild Payton Pritchard sighting occurred in Game 1, as the guard got almost 12 minutes of run. While he wasn't awful during his rare playing time, he didn't do what the Celtics needed him to do: make a 3-pointer.

For Game 2, the C's could look to other members of their bench for 3-point shooting. Forward Grant Williams has shown he can get hot from deep and his size and strength make him a better defender than Pritchard. The Game 7 hero from last year's playoffs got zero minutes in Game 1 even though he could've provided a spark off the bench.

Williams aside, why not give Sam Hauser a try? The 6-foot-7 shooter is supposed to be a 3-point specialist, so if Pritchard isn't getting it done he's worth a shot. Additionally, through 80 regular season games this year Hauser shot an impressive 41.2% from beyond the arc. These rotation adjustments might not be the final answer for the C's, yet they could be part of the solution.

1. Celtics must limit the late-game turnovers

Turnovers of any kind are detrimental, but turnovers in the fourth quarter are devastating.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the stars of the show for Boston, however, they combined for a brutal five turnovers in the last 12 minutes of the game. Boston's margin for error was already slim at that point, so those late-game cough-ups sealed the deal for the Heat.

Miami's defense is formidable and Tatum and Brown have to be ready for defenders swarming them when they try to drive. It's easier said than done, but finding the open man rather than throwing it away in the fourth can lead to wins.