When one team eliminates another in the NBA playoffs, the contributing factors go beyond just tactical adjustments and modified lineups. It's injuries, untimely slumps, convenient hot streaks, and great players expanding into supernovas.
The four-game erratic spasm between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls has had a bit of everything. Rajon Rondo's broken thumb stands out as the series' pivotal moment—and it's clear the Bulls don't have a contingency plan for his absence—but let's remember that the 31-year-old guard made barely 40 percent of his shots this season. Rondo isn't Steph Curry, in other words, and the Celtics do deserve some credit for crawling out of an 0-2 hole thanks to the adjustments Brad Stevens made after that second loss last Tuesday.
Namely, Stevens' decision to start Gerald Green over Amir Johnson in Game 3 has proved to be a crucial point in this series. Hindsight makes it seem obvious now, but this was not an easy move. Johnson started 77 games in the regular season, and Boston's starting lineup averaged 113.7 points per 100 possessions this season, fourth highest among all five-man units that logged at least 250 minutes, per NBA.com.
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