Celtics already seeing pressure.
The NBA Playoffs have officially started and all playoff teams played their first game. The top seed Boston Celtics took an L at the TD Garden on Sunday night (106-102). Jimmy Butler scored 30 points, but Bobby Portis scored 19 coming off the bench. The Bulls beat the Celtics in many categories such as rebounding, 2nd chance points, free throws, points in the paint, and blocks. Isaiah Thomas's sister died in a car accident, but he managed to play and scored 33 points, shooting 55% from the field. The Celtics are currently trailing the Bulls 0-1 in the series. Game 2 will be on Tuesday, April 18th at the TD Garden. Isaiah Thomas's status of whether he'll play Game 2 is still unknown.
After that Game 1 loss, there is a lot of pressure on the Celtics. They are the top seed in the playoffs, but they could also probably see a 1st Round elimination. Al Horford and Amir Johnson must take their game to another level because if the Celtics can't rebound and keep the Bulls from getting 2nd Chance points, it is very possibility that the Celtics could get eliminated. Other than rebounding, youngs guys must play a higher role. Guys like Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown must be efficient from the perimeter. Celtics can't rely on Isaiah Thomas because teams could lock him down plus Isaiah probably wouldn't even play in Game 2, so other guys should definitely step-up to make a threat to the Bulls. In Game 2, I expect a better shooting and rebounding, and other guys stepping up from the Celtics. Even though the Bulls are the 8th seed, this team is pretty tough and physically when playing the game of basketball. Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, and now Bobby Portis in the mix could make them dangerous, so playtime is over for Boston. Now it's time to get serious.
