BOSTON (CBS) — Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals was going so well for the Celtics, until it wasn’t. After a solid and surprising first half from the undermanned Celtics, they were outplayed in every facet of the game in the third quarter, which ultimately cost the team any shot at stealing Game 1 against the Heat. Getting outscored by 25 points in a single quarter will do that to a team. The Celtics just had no life in the third quarter, and were outscored 39-14 by the Heat. It was Boston’s only bad quarter of the game, but boy was it really bad. The ball movement dried up and when the ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — The undermanned Celtics came out firing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat. The Celtics of the first half looked like they may be able to steal the first game of the series, even without Al Horford and Marcus Smart. But the Celtics of the third quarter were downright dreadful. Boston came out of halftime ice cold and lethargic, and Miami stormed out with a 22-2 run to completely flip the game. The Celtics went on to lose Game 1, 118-107, in Miami. The third quarter changed everything. Miami outscored Boston 39-14 in the frame, turning an eight-point Celt ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — The Celtics got some surprising — and unpleasant — news just a few hours before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals: Al Horford was not going to be available. For the third time this season, Horford has landed in the NBA’s Health & Safety Protocols. The Celtics found out that Horford would miss Game 1 around 5 p.m., roughly three-and-a-half hours before tipoff. Losing a starter ahead of the first game of the Conference Finals is not an ideal situation for any team. To make matters worse for the Celtics, Marcus Smart was also ruled out with a foot injury. But Smart’s abse ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — The Celtics will be shorthanded when they tip off the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. Not only will Marcus Smart miss Game 1 with a foot injury, but Al Horford has also been ruled out due to Health & Safety Protocols. That is going to make stealing the first game of the series in Miami extremely difficult for Boston. Smart’s absence should come as no surprise, as he was listed as questionable on Monday after he suffered a right mid-foot sprain during Boston’s Game 7 win over the Bucks on Sunday. He received treatment throughout the day on T ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) —  The Celtics sharpened their postseason claws during a first-round sweep of the talented Brooklyn Nets followed by a grueling, hard-fought seven-game win over the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. They’re going to need those talons in a showdown with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The road to a title doesn’t get any easier for the Celtics, who won’t have homecourt advantage in the upcoming series. But they’re a team that doesn’t mind a little adversity, and since January, has actually thrived in the face of it. With a golden opportunity ahead of them, th ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — The Celtics are back in the Eastern Conference Finals after a thrilling seven-game series win over the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. Now they’ll battle with the top-seeded Miami Heat for a trip to the NBA Finals. The Celtics are out for some revenge in this series, which is a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA bubble. Miami sent Boston home in six games that year before losing to the Lakers in the Finals. That was the best shot that Boston’s core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart had at winning a title so far in their career. Now they’ll ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — Marcus Smart took a beating during Boston’s seven-game series win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Trying to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo does that to most players. The Celtics don’t have a lot of time to recover from that grueling series, either, with their Eastern Conference showdown with the Miami Heat tipping off Tuesday night in South Beach. After Smart took a huge fall in Sunday’s Game 7 victory over the Bucks, he’ll be bringing some bumps and bruises into Boston’s next series. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka revealed Monday that Smart suffered a right mid-foot sprain during Game 7 ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — After the Celtics thoroughly dismantled the Bucks in Game 7 on Sunday, finishing off an epic Eastern Conference semifinal showdown between the two teams, the two stars of the series embraced at half court. When their battle was done, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum shared a moment of mutual respect on the floor. The two had just gone toe-to-toe for seven games, with Tatum’s team sending the defending champions home for the summer. It was a grueling seven-game war where both players having to work for every point they scored. When it was all said and done, Giannis, a two-t ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — Even after the Celtics ripped off an incredible stretch of basketball in the second half of the regular season, they still had their doubters. Sure, Boston was one of the best teams in the league after the new year, but lots of folks questioned if they had what it took to keep that going in the playoffs. So far this postseason, they’ve risen to every challenge thrown their way. A first-round sweep of the Nets was impressive, but their seven-game series win over the Bucks outdid that performance. Beating Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champs is exactly what the Boston co ..read more

BOSTON (CBS) — Anything can happen in a Game 7. Anything. Teams leave it all out on the floor, and usually, they need someone other than the usual suspects to step up with a big effort. Grant Williams answered that call for the Celtics in Sunday’s 109-81 trouncing of the Milwaukee Bucks. But the undersized forward didn’t just have a big game. He had a colossal effort in the must-win clash, scoring a game-best — and new career-high — 27 points while knocking down 10 of his 22 shots. You read that right; Grant Williams took 22 shots in a Game 7. More shots than both Jayson Tatum (14) and Jaylen ..read more