How Ime Udoka changed Celtics tactics amid Game 7 slow start, sparking blowout win over the Bucks

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/05/how-ime-udoka-changed-celtics-tactics-amid-game-7-slow-start-sparking-blowout-win-over-the-bucks-brian-robb.html



How Ime Udoka changed Celtics tactics amid Game 7 slow start, sparking blowout win over the Bucks



Updated: May. 16, 2022, 9:50 a.m. | Published: May. 16, 2022, 1:34 a.m.




Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, right, speaks with forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, Monday, April 25, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)AP


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



BOSTON — It’s easy to look at the Game 7 box score of the Celtics’ win over the Bucks and think everything came easy for Boston. The truth is far from that. The hosts faced a 10-point deficit in the first quarter after shooting an anemic 29 percent from the field. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown looked like they came ready to play from the opening tip but Boston’s supporting cast certainly did not as they combined for 2-of-14 shooting in the first quarter. Milwaukee was giving up 3s elsewhere in their attempt to slow down the stars and no one on Boston was able to make them pay early.


The situation could have been something that instilled panic and presssing teamwide after Boston trailed by six points after the end of the opening frame. The nightmare shooting night from the Celtics’ last home Game 7 (2018 against the Cavs) was fresh on fans’ minds and potentially in the thoughts prominent Celtics that were involved, including four members of the starting five that remained on this team four years later.


The Bucks weren’t playing great themselves but they were betting big on going big. Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo were locked in and defending the paint well. Easy baskets (C’s were 2-of-10 inside the arc in the first quarter) were not available by the rim. Instead, Milwaukee’s coaching staff made the calculation that their best chance would be the Celtics supporting cast shrinking in the moment.

Udoka saw this reality in the opening 12 minutes and made a couple of critical adjustments which enabled to the Celtics to overcome their nightmare start and steady the ship.


Breaking from the usual rotation plans with the stars

Playing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum together was almost never seen midway through any first half in the entire season. Udoka always preferred to stagger rest for his stars to have one or the other serve as the lead scorer and center the offense around them while the other rested.


The start of the second quarter is usually Tatum’s time to play with Brown getting some rest. However, this time around the calculus was different. No one in Boston’s supporting cast was hitting shots early (2-of-14 in first quarter) and Boston’s offense looked like a mess on many possessions. The Celtics needed to avoid falling into a deeper hole and so Udoka responded with a sense of urgency usually saved for the second half. There would be no rest for the co-stars. After sitting for a minute each at the end of the first quarter (separately) both were back in the fold in the second period

“It wasn’t the plan,” Udoka admitted. “We went into it with our original rotations and, didn’t have the best offensive first quarter. Felt good about only being down six, 26 to 20, and we were defending at a high level, but had to clean up offensively and didn’t love the flow of it. So brought those guys back in to get us a spark and understanding it’s a Game 7. Nothing to save guys for as far as another game coming up soon, although it’s the same day in between we wanted to finish the series and gave those guys a little bit more run.”


The gamble here by Udoka was a risky one. Playing Tatum and Brown bigger minutes early would run the risk of wearing them down by the fourth quarter. However, Udoka saw the red flags offensively. He knew the team needed to dig out of a hole early instead of pressing as the game went on. Leaning on Boston’s best players early and often did just that.


Going offense over defense in the backcourt

Derrick White and Marcus Smart went a combined 3-of-17 from the field in Game 7, signs of which showed up early on in the first quarter as both players missed a host of looks. With Grant Williams turning down early open jumpers before he got going and no other reliable shooting to be found, Udoka leaned heavily on Pritchard for big first half minutes to help keep the floor spread around Boston’s stars. Pritchard was a willing and capable shooter and that’s exactly what was needed to help stretch the Bucks defense thin with their tactics.

Boston opened the frame with a 12-4 run to get back into the game and later in the second half Pritchard helped put the game away, finishing with a game-high 14 points in 17 minutes among bench players. Sacrificing defense for offense is not an easy choice in any Game 7 but Udoka saw what the Celtics needed at a critical juncture of the game.


By the time the second half rolled around, Udoka’s tactics had clearly paid off. Boston’s offense started rolling again after shaking off a slow start and that helped the team overcome Jayson Tatum foul trouble in the third quarter having put together a lead already instead of playing catchup after an ugly offensive first half. With a 15-point lead by the time Tatum came back for the fourth quarter, the floodgates were ready to open for the Celtics 3-point shooting all over the floor with the team playing free and Tatum having fresh legs.

Those types of chess moves in-game by Udoka stuck out to Boston’s top talent as the Celtics dismissed the defending champions.

“For a first-year coach, it’s almost -- I feel like it’s unheard of,” Brown said of Udoka’s poise. “His level of poise, his level of confidence never changed. Even when we were down 2-1 or when we were down 3-2, you could tell, the look in his eyes, that we were gonna win this series. We just needed to handle our business and sometimes you can get in those moments and go away from everything, or start to make over-adjustments. And he didn’t. Like we maintained our poise, kept our confidence and found a way to win the series.”


For as good as Boston’s turnaround has been this season, Udoka’s magic touch has been at the center of it all, reversing a rough start for himself at times out of the gate. His moves won’t show up in the box score but pushing the right buttons in critical early moments opened the door for the team to advance to the East Finals for the fourth time in six seasons.


Bob


.

In his first rotation  PP was turning down open very makeable looks.  That changed in the 2nd half.  We know he has touch from the outside and I want him to fire away.

Derrick White looks like the worse 3 point shooter on the team.  He has gone 9-37 from deep or 24.3%.  He did shot better from deep in the Bucks series but not substantially better at 30.8%.

He is going to be the guy that the Heat dare to shoot.  He will continue to get wide open take your time looks and we need for him to make more of them.

Ime Udoka made Bud look silly.  How is it possible that both coaches wanted the same thing.  They both wanted Grant to shoot the 3 ball.  Bud never said, nevermind, go check him.  Bud also stayed with Grayson 'the tripper" Allen who played 26.5 MPG but only average 5 PPG.  And it was not just the lack of scoring.  Allen got toasted on defense repeatedly by any and all comers.  Someone should have called child protection services.