With a triumphant performance in the series finale, the Celtics spared Green a head-to-head confrontation with the Heat and his hurt feelings, but that didn’t mean they let him off the hook. Rather, Green’s play, rather than his words, drew some deserved scrutiny following Boston’s 120-108 victory in Game 1 on Thursday. For Golden State to even the series in Game 2 on Sunday, the key adjustment is obvious: Green, a three-time champion known for improving his playoff game, must play more effectively at both ends.
“One thing I hate is leaders who, when everything is good, it’s all of them,” Green, 32, said at practice Saturday. “They are doing everything. They are making it all happen. And when things go wrong, it’s everyone else’s fault. Like I said before, we call those favorites and we don’t do that. We take it on the chin. That’s what I’ve always been taught my whole life. In the end, if I play well, we win. And if I don’t, we still can. But if I do, we win. So that falls on me.”
In fact, Green’s best performances this postseason have come at opportune times. With a chance to shut out the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round, Green had 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in a Game 6 win. And in a Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks to clinch the Conference finals. West, Green had 17 points and nine assists to help close the door.
For evidence of Green’s leadership status, look no further than his 3-point shooting, which has often been lopsided and not especially effective in recent years. When Green has made at least one 3-pointer this season, Golden State has posted a 13-1 record during the regular season and a 6-0 mark in the playoffs. If Green is confident enough to pull the trigger instead of giving in to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and has enough pace to connect, Golden State may look unbeatable.
That wasn’t the case in Game 1, when Green shot 2-for-12 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. Stray shots were only a concern; Green drew fouls, committed three turnovers and was at times overwhelmed by Boston’s front row of Al Horford and Robert Williams. During the Celtics’ decisive fourth-quarter flurry, Green had a sloppy fumble and an offensive foul that negated a Curry layup, while Horford found himself open for 3-pointers on multiple occasions.
“You could feel the momentum shift dramatically and the rush started,” Curry said Saturday, adding that Golden State faced a “coming to Jesus moment” after losing Game 1 at the Chase Center.
Horford and Williams represent the toughest challenge this postseason for Green, who played a central role defending Denver Nuggets MVP center Nikola Jokic in the first round, going toe-to-toe with the Grizzlies’ physical front row in the second round and won the battle against the Mavericks’ perimeter-oriented big men in the West finals.
Horford is a smart veteran who can shoot, pass and defend at the rim and in space. Williams, like Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., is an athlete who competes in shooting and plays above the rim. Over the years, Green has been most effective when facing slow centers who can’t keep him on the perimeter or non-scoring threats that allow him to move and provide a disruptive defense. Boston’s bigs are versatile enough to stick with him and capable enough offensively to keep him honest.
In addition, the Celtics deployed Marcus Smart, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard who was named Defensive Player of the Year in April, to defend Green for stretches of Game 1. That move allowed the Boston bigs to stay closer to the basket and put Smart in position to trade Golden State shooting guards when Green tried to set up jump shot transfers, one of his favorite moves on offense.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka said Saturday that the strategy was intended to encourage Green to pursue his own offense, which is not normally his preference. This season, Green posted a team-high 7.0 assists per game, but was Golden State’s seventh-leading scorer, averaging just 7.5 points.
“We don’t feel [Smart defending Green is] a cross match, by any means, or a mismatch,” Udoka said. “We put Marcus in big throughout the season to switch guards on him sometimes. That’s something in our back pocket that we feel comfortable doing. Usually, [we try to] help [Green] when appropriate and try to make him score more. It’s tough: you help him, but he goes straight into a dribble action or a pin action, and you have to be able to help and come back.”
While Golden State can potentially turn to Thompson and backup shooting guard Jordan Poole for more points in Game 2, Green will be central to their hopes for defensive improvement. The seven-time all-defensive team pick highlighted the Warriors’ lack of defensive “muscle” in Game 1, saying the Celtics’ shooters performed so well in the fourth quarter because the Warriors allowed them to get comfortable by giving up too many easy looks at first. the game.
As has been the case throughout their title years, the Warriors will count on Green to set a fiercer or more physical tone on defense in Game 2. Golden State is 4-0 after a loss in this postseason.
“There is no other scenario where I see it play out differently than [Green] coming out with great energy and focus,” Curry said. “Just making his impact felt on the court. I know he takes all of that personally, in terms of his level and what he knows he can do on the court. When he does not comply with that, he is usually quite honest and responsible with himself, above all, and with the team.
“You don’t win championships and you’re not the team that we are if you don’t have that in your DNA at some point. We have to go out there and try it out, including Draymond.”
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