How will Heat respond to blowout Game 4 loss? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Close games have been few and far between in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Almost every game has been a rout, and the Boston Celtics continued that trend with their 102-82 win over the Miami Heat in Monday night's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference FInals.
The series now heads back to Miami tied 2-2. While the momentum appears to be in Boston's favor, there's a good chance the Heat give the C's a taste of their own medicine again on Wednesday night. The two teams have gone back and forth with convincing victories through the first four games and there's no reason that can't continue in Game 5.
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How Tatum his offense with a key Game 4 adjustment
Both teams have responded well to being punched in the mouth in this series. How will Miami react this time around? ESPN's Nick Friedell joined Chris Forsberg on a new episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast to share his thoughts.
Celtics Talk: Is Robert Williams the key to the Celtics beating the Heat? Plus more thoughts from Game 4 | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
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"They had a really off night. But what was pretty impressive was there was no panic from them at all," Friedell said. "Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry got up there and they were like, 'We lost. We'll get it together.' ...
"When you get your ass kicked that bad, I think that is a pretty solid response to have. And this is a team that has such strong belief in itself no matter what is happening on the floor day after day, that it didn't surprise me. What was really intriguing is you're listening to them and you're like, they believe it, but can they actually do it when Jimmy's knee is bothering him, when Tyler Herro and that groin strain continues to be an issue."
Butler was a non-factor in Miami's Game 4 defeat. The six-time All-Star had only six points on 3-of-14 shooting. Even though Butler denied his knee was to blame, Friedell believes there may be more to the injury than he's letting on.
"He said after the game, 'I'm good, it wasn't an excuse, I'm not worried about it.' Historically when Jimmy says he's not worried about something, that means it's on his mind a little bit," Friedell said. "So I'm very interested to see how he comes out in Game 5 because I think we all agree he just didn't look like himself. ...
"Erik Spoelstra was almost defiant in saying what they did to us, we can do to them. They believe it, but can it actually happen in Miami on Wednesday night?"
Game 5 at FTX Arena is set for an 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live on NBC Sports Boston.
Also discussed in the episode: Derrick White steps up with Marcus Smart out. Why have the Celtics been so inconsistent this series? And Al Horford's motivation to make it to the NBA Finals.
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network or watch it on YouTube below.
