The key Game 2 storylines for the Celtics, Heat, Pelicans and Thunder

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, the two 1-seeds in the 2024 NBA playoffs, each have 1-0 leads of their respective first-round sequence, however that is nearly the place the similarities finish.

Boston dealt with its enterprise in opposition to the Miami Heat from the bounce in Game 1, profitable in a 114-94 rout. Meanwhile the Thunder did not safe their Game 1 win in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans till CJ McCollum‘s last-second 3-pointer bounced off the again rim.

The two 1 vs. 8 sequence resume Wednesday evening, and our NBA insiders took a take a look at the greatest storylines for every staff heading into Game 2.

MORE: Complete coverage of 2024 NBA playoffs

Celtics do not wish to let up

After Tuesday’s follow, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla fielded a query: When you checked out tape of Game 1, what, if something, did you understand may very well be finished higher?

“Better is doing what we [already] do with higher intensity and higher physicality,” Mazzulla mentioned.

It was a telling reply, and an sincere one.

The Celtics had been dominant of their sequence opener in opposition to No. 8 seed Miami, leaping out to a 14-point lead earlier than the Heat even managed to attain and in the end profitable by 20. After a efficiency like that, there actually is not a change in technique that is vital at the second.

Mazzulla and the gamers as an alternative hung out speaking about the mentality that can be vital to verify they keep this stage after the breezy Game 1.

“If you don’t think you’re going to see a different version of Miami, you’re kidding yourself,” Mazzulla mentioned.

The Heat said the apparent throughout their follow, saying they’d search to trim the huge 3-point deficit that passed off in Game 1 — Boston tied a franchise playoff excessive with 22 made 3s. So the Celtics vowed to be able to benefit from no matter attractiveness got here their approach consequently, be it from the paint or the midrange parts of the ground.

Generally talking, although, what Boston is gearing up for is a extra intense Miami membership.

“They’re going to be hungry [and] desperate,” Celtics capturing guard Jaylen Brown mentioned. “They’re going to come out fast and aggressive, trying to turn us over. They’re going to try to crash the glass hard and be physical, knock us to the ground. They’re going to want to win the physicality battle.”

Brown and guard Payton Pritchard every mentioned ahead Caleb Martin‘s late-game, midair collision with ahead Jayson Tatum — which precipitated a short skirmish and double technical fouls — may need been an excellent factor.

The incident appeared to invigorate the Celtics at a time once they had taken their foot off the pedal ever so barely after constructing a 34-point benefit earlier in the contest. “I think we like that,” Pritchard mentioned. “It was a joy to see that, and what it’s going to be like moving forward. We’re ready for that test and that physicality.” — Chris Herring

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Heat lack firepower to satisfy championship aspirations

The hallway wall outdoors of the house locker room inside Kaseya Center is embellished with a colourful montage of a few of the biggest moments in Heat franchise historical past. There are dozens of images from the three championship celebrations. There’s a wall-sized picture of Dwyane Wade capturing a floater over Tim Duncan throughout the 2013 NBA Finals. There’s one other picture of Ray Allen capturing the nook 3-pointer that tied Game 6 of the 2013 Finals.

And, in the center of it, the phrase “CHAMPIONS” is emblazoned on the wall, the three years the Heat reached the pinnacle of the NBA — 2006, 2012 and 2013 — written out beneath it.

It’s an ever-present reminder for those that stroll by means of there — be it gamers, coaches, media, staffers or anybody else — that there has solely been one mission assertion for this franchise since the second staff president Pat Riley set foot in South Florida practically 30 years in the past.

And, regardless of the Heat’s latest observe document, it is also one this group is not going to have the ability to attain.

In the weeks main as much as the playoffs, any coach, scout or govt requested about the Heat’s probabilities wasn’t able to rely them out, pointing to Miami advancing to 3 convention finals and two NBA Finals throughout the earlier 4 years with most of this core — particularly, ahead Jimmy Butler — in place.

But Butler is not on the court docket, as an MCL sprain suffered a week ago in Miami’s heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in match knocked him out of the sequence. Shooting guard Terry Rozier, the staff’s prime acquisition forward of the commerce deadline, can also be out of the lineup with a neck challenge and additionally appears unlikely to play.

Game 1 confirmed how huge of a problem it is going to be for Miami to make this sequence aggressive in opposition to the staff with the NBA’s finest document. The Celtics merely have an excessive amount of firepower for the Heat to maintain up with, particularly down two key contributors.

Soon, the sequence can be over, and the questions on this staff’s future will resurface. With just one assured 12 months left on his contract, will Butler get an extension — and what’s going to occur if he does not? And, setting that apart, what can Miami do to spice up an offense that ranked twenty first in the NBA this season?

One factor is for sure: The Heat will make no excuses as this sequence continues, and coach Erik Spoelstra will say he has sufficient to compete. But with out Butler and Rozier, an already uphill climb has turn out to be an unattainable one. — Tim Bontemps

Thunder’s deep rotation nonetheless in flux

As the top-seeded Thunder start what they hope can be a protracted playoff run, the most attention-grabbing query is how Coach of the Year finalist Mark Daigneault’s rotation will shake out.

Daigneault used 11 gamers in Sunday’s Game 1 win, the most of any staff in a aggressive recreation. That largely mirrored Daigneault’s regular-season rotation, which has included six reserves after the addition of veteran ahead Gordon Hayward at the commerce deadline.

“Everybody that came in played their role,” guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned after Game 1. “They gave good minutes. All 11 guys did their part, and that’s the reason why we won tonight.”

Most notable, nonetheless, was the absence of beginning guard Josh Giddey at the finish of Oklahoma City’s 94-92 win. Giddey performed simply 20 minutes on an evening when each different starter logged at the very least 32.

Giddey’s inconsistent outdoors capturing (34% on 3-pointers this season) has all the time loomed as a possible playoff legal responsibility for the Thunder. Despite beginning all 80 video games he has performed, Giddey noticed his minutes per recreation drop from 31.1 in 2022-23 to 25.1 this season. That decline was magnified late in video games, as Giddey performed simply 47% of what NBA Advanced Stats defines as clutch minutes (recreation inside 5 factors, final 5 minutes of regulation or extra time) — down from 69% a 12 months in the past.

Besides Giddey’s personal limitations, the growth of rookie guard Cason Wallace has given Daigneault another down the stretch. The 20-year-old performed the bulk of the final 4 minutes Sunday, buying and selling off with the staff’s finest shooter, Isaiah Joe. Wallace matched up with Pelicans guard McCollum on the recreation’s remaining possession, forcing McCollum into an off-balance missed 3 at the buzzer.

As lengthy as Oklahoma City is profitable, Daigneault won’t wish to mess with the formulation that led the Thunder to the finest document in the Western Conference this season. Oklahoma City’s typical beginning 5 that includes Giddey went 46-17 (.730) in the common season — 9 extra wins than some other group of starters, per Basketball-Reference.com knowledge.

Down the street, nonetheless, changing Giddey is likely to be the Thunder’s pure adjustment when one thing goes incorrect. — Kevin Pelton

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Thunder outlast Pelicans in gritty Game 1 win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes up clutch as the Thunder cling on to take Game 1 from the Pelicans.

Pelicans looking out for extra offense

New Orleans held the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference to 94 factors in Game 1. As Pelicans ahead Larry Nance Jr. identified Tuesday after follow, that must be sufficient for a staff to get a victory. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, it wasn’t.

Thanks largely to the protection guard Luguentz Dort performed on ahead Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans ahead went 5-of-17 for simply 12 factors Sunday evening, and the Pelicans offense by no means appeared to get getting in the two-point loss.

Nance mentioned the staff has a couple of tips up its sleeve to get the offense going, but it surely’s clear one thing must occur.

The Pelicans obtained 24 factors off 18 offensive rebounds, going 9-of-17 off the second probabilities. But the staff shot 28-of-79 (35.4%) on its preliminary shot makes an attempt, a quantity that should enhance. Oklahoma City additionally outscored the Pelicans 20-7 in fast-break factors.

Both had been factors of emphasis in Tuesday’s follow, in line with Pelicans coach Willie Green.

“We really looked at some of our keys, keeping them out of transition defensively and making sure we finish possessions,” Green mentioned. “I thought the second half they made a better effort to go after the offensive glass. … We had a really good practice today.”

In 4 video games since coming back from a bone bruise in his left knee, Ingram has averaged 15.0 factors on 43.1% capturing. He was 0-of-8 when Dort was the major defender, in line with ESPN Stats & Information analysis.

Green mentioned the staff has to play with extra velocity and drive in order that Dort cannot be as bodily with Ingram as he was in Game 1. The Pelicans additionally have to get extra screens set for Ingram, Green mentioned, to attempt to free him up.

New Orleans must proceed to enhance its clutch offense to have an opportunity to steal a recreation earlier than heading house for Game 3. The Pelicans had been 0-22 in the common season getting into the fourth quarter with a deficit, and their 29 video games in the clutch had been the fewest in the NBA this season.

In Game 1, the Pelicans had been 1-of-7 with 4 turnovers in the remaining 3:09 and did not rating a bucket between the 3:34 mark and when McCollum hit a layup with 26.5 seconds left.

New Orleans can even have to regulate to how the recreation is being referred to as. The Pelicans tried 9 free throws Sunday, the fewest they’d tried in any recreation this season. They additionally held the Thunder to only 13 makes an attempt, tied for the fifth fewest for them in a recreation all season.

“Oh, this is basketball,” Nance mentioned. “Last game, it took me a half to figure out what are they going to call, what aren’t they going to call, what are they going to let go. And in the second half it was football. And I love it.” — Andrew Lopez