2-0 lead in East means nothing

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — If there was a sliver of consolation for the Celtics on Friday, it probably could have been found within the understanding that a 2-0 lead for the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals doesn’t guarantee anything.

The Celtics learned that two years ago against the Cavaliers.

And the Bucks learned the same last season against the Raptors.

Dropping the first two games of the East finals to the Heat, obviously, isn’t the ideal scenario for the Celtics. But they’ve had chances to win both games — and might be getting Gordon Hayward back Saturday night for Game 3, when they’ll have the opportunity to get right back into this series.

“I think this series is far from over,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said.

Those aren’t fighting words. The Heat agree with him.

“We haven’t done anything. We haven’t,” AllNBA pick and Heat forward Jimmy Butler said. “We can’t get excited that we’re up 2-0 because as good as it is to be 2-0, it could easily be 4-2 Boston. So, we’re going to come into the same way knowing that we’ve got to be better and stay humble.”

The Celtics were up by 14 in the fourth quarter of Game 1, then were up by 17 in the first half of Game 2 and lost both games.

“We feel like we could have won,” Brown said. “Should have won, and we didn’t. So just a lot of emotions flying around. That’s it.”

The Celtics led the Cavs 2-0 in the 2018 East finals before losing in seven games; The Bucks led the Raptors 2-0 in the 2019 East finals before losing in six. Momentum can change just that quickly in a series, and the Heat know that to be the case.

“You get to this level, in the conference finals, it’s not going to be easy for either team — and it wasn’t,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Both teams are laying it all on the line. That’s the way it should be.”