Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Heat Game

The top five plays from Monday's matchup between the Celtics and Heat feature Boston's beautiful ball movement on the game's first bucket, Marcus Smart swiping and scoring, and Robert Williams rejecting. There's also Caleb Martin's thunderous jam and Jayson Tatum putting Bam Adebayo on skates before delivering a clever assist.

Bobby Krivitsky

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The top five plays from Monday's matchup between the Celtics and Heat feature Boston's beautiful ball movement on the game's first bucket, Marcus Smart swiping and scoring, and Robert Williams rejecting. There's also Caleb Martin's thunderous jam and Jayson Tatum putting Bam Adebayo on skates before delivering a clever assist.

Celtics Fans, Get Familiar with This Set

To break the ice, Ime Udoka dialed up the same set Inside The Celtics deemed Boston's best possession from its 107-97 win against the Pelicans on Saturday.

Once again, the play worked perfectly, getting Robert Williams an easy bucket at the rim.

Marcus Smart Jumps the Route

Never nonchalantly swing the ball to who Marcus Smart is guarding. Tyler Herro doesn't help Miami's cause, either, as he doesn't make much effort to create separation from Smart, and he doesn't come towards the ball.

The missteps by Caleb Martin and Herro predictably turn into a steal by Smart, and he converts the theft into a layup at the other end.

Robert Williams Denies Tyler Herro at the Rim

First, Williams switches onto Tyler Herro, and he impressively stays with him on the perimeter, preventing the Kentucky alum from creating separation to get off a three. Then, Herro tries to take Williams off the dribble, but the Timelord swats his layup from behind. If you pause the play at the nine-second mark, it's pretty obvious how it's going to end.

Caleb Martin's Thunderous Throwdown

With Robert Williams sinking low in case Bam Adebayo drives or gives the ball to Tyler Herro in the post, Adebayo kicks the ball to Caleb Martin, who immediately attacks off the catch. A poor closeout by Williams turns the real estate he gave Martin into a runway. That translates into a one-handed jam with the Timelord trying to register another highlight-reel rejection.

Jayson Tatum Puts Bam Adebayo on Skates, Passes Around Duncan Robinson to Robert Williams

Jayson Tatum gets the ball from Jaylen Brown in a dribble handoff, then comes off a staggered screen set by Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. When Bam Adebayo switches onto Tatum, the All-Star wing gets the two-time All-Defensive Second Team member to flip his hips multiple times, which gets him off balance.

Tatum then swats Adebayo's arm away, lowers his shoulders, and gets deep into the paint, forcing Duncan Robinson to help cut him off, leaving Robert Williams open under the rim. Tatum then delivers a bounce pass around Robinson to the Timelord, who takes care of the rest.

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

Home/Top Stories