Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka took some solace in his team winning three of the four quarters in a 118-107 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but he has a mountain to climb managing a roster that is missing two starters and playing a hobbled third entering Thursday’s Game 2.
The Celtics left their second-round series against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks as favorites to reach the NBA Finals, but news broke shortly after Sunday’s Game 7 win that Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart exited Boston’s arena in a walking boot. Udoka revealed on Monday that Smart suffered a right mid-foot sprain before being removed with two minutes left in a blowout and his status was in doubt.
When the Celtics’ injury report dropped in the hours before Game 1, Smart was ruled out, and in another stunning blow to their top-rated defense, Al Horford entered health and safety protocols for COVID-19.
The Celtics still stifled the Heat’s offense for much of the first half on Tuesday, when Jayson Tatum scored 21 of his 29 points to give them a 62-54 lead at the break, but they felt the absence of their two defensive leaders on Miami’s 22-2 run in the opening six minutes of the third quarter. That was all the Heat needed.
“Obviously, Al and Marcus are veteran guys who calm us down at times,” Udoka said after the loss. “You might miss that some, but it was a little bit of everybody. It wasn’t just young guys and Payton [Pritchard] and those guys. It was Jayson and some of our veterans making the same mistakes, so no excuse there.”
Miami felt no sympathy for Boston, since six-time All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry is also sidelined with a left hamstring injury, and the Heat have hardly needed him, winning all seven of his missed playoff games. Milwaukee will not shed a tear, either, after losing to the Celtics without three-time All-Star Khris Middleton.
The Celtics hardly had time to process their injuries in the single off day between physical series…