Three Keys for the Miami Heat to win Game 4

The Miami Heat only lead the series against the Boston Celtics 2-1, after a tough Game 3 loss.  There were quite a few minor issues that occurred on Saturday night, but they should be easy to clean up. Going into Game 4, the NBA odds here show the Miami Heat as three-point underdogs to Boston.

Here’s what needs to happen to pull off the win.

#1: Jimmy Butler raises his intensity out the gate.

It was pretty clear that there was a lack of energy from Jimmy Butler in game three, which definitely isn’t normal. Not only does that hurt Jimmy’s performance, it hurts the whole team. This entire team feeds off the energy of Jimmy Butler, mostly on the defensive side of the ball, which leads to scoring. And since Jimmy had three whole days to let that sink in, it will awake a beast. There’s a good chance he will be seeking to get near the rim early, which then opens up the floor for their shooters. He ultimately wants his teammates to be the scorers since it translates to wins, but it’s up to him to bring that offensive aggression to get them going.

#2: Miami must cut down on turnovers and mistakes.

One thing about this Boston Celtics team is that they thrive off of their opponents mistakes. Three straight turnovers from Miami late in the second quarter extended Boston’s lead at the half, which ultimately was a huge reason for them losing that game. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown love to run the break and get out onto the open floor, which is why Miami must cut those opportunities down as much as possible. And the way to make less mistakes with the ball is to make instinctive decisions instead of holding it and eventually getting stuck. That’s why Miami must get the ball to their veterans in those instances, and let them control the pace.

#3: Erik Spoelstra adjusts his adjustments.

Erik Spoelstra has coached a pretty great series so far, after making some huge adjustments, including implementing the zone defense and modifying the rotation on the fly. Although those great decisions won them those first two games, it’s now time to adjust once again to his own adjustments. And there’s not a better coach to do such a thing. For one, with Gordon Hayward returning, it makes it harder for Miami to use the zone for an extended amount of time. When Gordon gets the ball at the free throw line, it’s hard for Miami to recover defensively. Also, Spo will need to make another defensive change to try and eliminate Boston’s dribble penetration. Boston had a field day in the paint against Miami in game three, which doesn’t sit well with Spo. That’s something they worked on in practice over the past few days as well, which says that they’re ready.

Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) contributes regularly to Five on the Floor platforms.