The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Celtics in elimination game
Face Rondo-less Bulls
The top-seeded Boston Celtics are back from the brink of disaster.
They have dug themselves out of an 0-2 hole against the Chicago Bulls to regain control of the series. A victory Friday would be the first time the franchise with six NBA titles has advanced past the first round since 2012.
“The key has been playing consistent,” Celtics guard Avery Bradley explained how Boston has flipped the script. “The first two games we obviously were a little emotional. We weren’t playing team basketball. We were just kind of playing free and not executing our plays at both ends of the floor and our games plans.
“Once we were able to slow down and focus on what we needed to do as a team on every detail, we were able to play a lot better.”
The Celtics weren’t expected to have to work this hard against a Bulls team that needed a tiebreaker to reach the playoffs. The team was dealt an emotional blow with the death of Isaiah Thomas’ sister the day before the playoffs began and the Bulls took the first two games in Boston.
Forward Jae Crowder said the Celtics are better team on the road.
“I had a good feeling in my heart when he came here 0-2 that we would come together and give ourselves a chance to win Game 3,” Crowder said. “That’s what happened. I just felt like we needed to get away from the stuff that was going on back home and just be us.”
Now the Chicago Bulls must do something it hasn’t this series — win a home game. And they’ll likely have to do it without Rajon Rondo, who broke his thumb in Game 2.
“You know, we’ve got to find a way to do the things that gave us success,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We have to have pace. Even though Rajon’s not out there, we still have to try to get down the
floor and get into our actions with plenty of time on the shot clock.
“That’s changed obviously with Rajon being out of the lineup, but it is what it is and we’re going to continue to fight.”
NEED TO KNOW: Boston broke through with the first home court win of the series in Game 5, led by Avery Bradley’s best offensive game of the series. He and Isaiah Thomas each came through with 24 points, with support from Al Horford’s 21 points and nine assists. They also had just six turnovers — a series-low — while scoring 23 points off the Bulls’ giveaways.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Kelly Olynyk. After being relatively silent in the first four games of the series, the Celtics’ reserve big man was all over the court Wednesday night. He had a series-best 14 points and five rebounds in his 21 minutes. The team was also plus-14 points with him on the court, the best plus/minus of any Celtics’ player.
INJURY UPDATE: Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said point guard Rajon Rondo (broken right thumb) is “a longshot” to return.
PRESSURE IS ON: The Bulls. Chicago needs to win its first game of the series at home and force a Game 7 back in Boston. The point guard issue wasn’t solved by inserting Isaiah Canaan into the lineup. That likely means Chicago will need big efforts from Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade to stay alive.