1. We’re going to start this version of the Takeaways with the negatives, but then we’re going to close with some positives. Kind of the opposite of the way the game itself played out.
As Ime Udoka, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum all said postgame, this was the kind of game the Boston Celtics will face in the playoffs. As they’ve been dominating teams, one thing has been clear: the Celtics wear you down. Boston amps up the physicality and eventually other teams shrink.
The Miami Heat not only didn’t shrink, they embraced and matched the physical nature of the game.