Isaiah’s Celts will need 7 to knock out 8
Jimmy Butler wasn’t ready to talk about matchup details minutes after holding on to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night.
Butler, however, has a good idea of what’s ahead.
Guard Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics in scoring ( 28.9 points) and finished second to Russell Westbrook in fourth- quarter scoring ( 9.8 points).
Undoubtedly, he’s Boston’s most lethal weapon — at 5- 9. Butler stands 6- 7. Big bank is about to take little bank.
At least that’s the blueprint, and it’s one the Bulls know all too well.
The Bulls used to be a pointguard- centric team built around Derrick Rose. In the 2010- 11 Eastern Conference finals against the Heat, the league MVP met the true MVP, and the 6- 3 Rose was dominated by LeBron James, who’s 6- 7.
When James guarded him in Game 4, Rose went 0- for- 5 from the field with a turnover.
In the close- out Game 5, James forced Rose into a 1- for- 10 performance. For the series, Rose shot 6.3 percent when guarded by James.
Go ahead and glue that page into the game plan when the topseeded Celtics host the Bulls in Game 1 on Sunday.
“I like any matchup,’’ Butler said when asked about the likelihood that he’ll draw Thomas at certain points during the game.
“We gotta throw the first punch on the road, Game 1 at that. I think we’re capable.’’
They’re more than capable.
The Bulls went 2- 2 against the Celtics in the regular season, but regular- season results mean little in mid- April. The postseason is about matchups, and that’s why this series will be a lot tougher for Boston than many think.
The Celtics will advance because they have more depth, but they’ll need all seven games to get past the Bulls.
Cowley’s pick: Celtics in seven.
‘‘ We gotta throw the first punch on the road.’’ — Jimmy Butler