One of the major keys to the Celtics’ dominant Game 1 win over the Heat was Jrue Holiday’s lockdown defense on guard Tyler Herro.
Herro was held to just 11 points, hitting 4-of-13 shots and 3-of-9 from three-point range.
“I just thought Jrue, in particular, did a great job staying connected to him, making it difficult on him,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said prior to Game 2 on Wednesday. “I thought there were some shots that he usually makes that he missed, as well, but thought whoever was matched up on him had a heightened awareness to him. Definitely expect him to be more aggressive we’ll have to be even better on him tonight.”
Holiday had his own take on how the Celtics were able to neutralize Herro, whose importance to the Heat is heightened with Jimmy Butler out with a knee injury.
“I just think keeping bodies on him,” Holiday told reporters during Wednesday’s shootaround. “Him not seeing too many open looks, not getting much at the basket, just knowing that somebody’s always going to be there. Not getting any easy shots, because obviously he’s a great scorer. If he sees one or two go in, anything can happen. Really just trying to make it difficult and him not seeing too many go in.”
With Holiday’s experience comes some freedom to play defense the way he’s comfortable. But Mazzulla has seen the 33-year-old 15-year veteran adapt well to the Celtics’ way of doing things.
“One, we teach him the system first, and then he was able to get the fundamentals of our system, we were able to unleash him,” Mazzulla said. “‘Here are the parameters, but do what you do in the confines of the system.’ So, it’s just a free-flowing conversation, I think, because one of the things he’s brought here is just the open-mindedness to go to different stuff at different times. Because of that, he’s been able to flourish. It’s a free-flowing conversation.”
The Celtics were excellent shooting from three in Sunday’s 114-94 win, hitting on 22-of-49 shots. The 22 made three-pointers were franchise playoff record.
Holiday isn’t worked if his team needs to adapt as the series progresses.
“I think the talent that we have on this team, we’re not just a three-point shooting team. A lot of players are getting to the paint, a lot of players can finish at the basket, we have mid-range players,” Holiday told reporters.” We can go off in any facet … if they try to take away the 3, I think we have counters for that.”
The Celtics will try to take a two-game lead over the Heat on Wednesday night.