Failure to win at least one of the next two games will raise questions about Boston's championship credentials. The optimistic Celtics fan will point out that if Doc Rivers and Co. win all their home games in the playoffs, they'll be NBA champions, but few expect banner 17 to be raised to the rafters unless the Celtics find a way to get some victories as visitors.
"Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes," said Celtics captain Paul Pierce. "Basketball is all about learning from past mistakes. We fumbled a couple games down in Atlanta, so we're going to look at that to see what we can do better, especially on the road. The main part about playing on the road, we've got to bring a lot more energy to the game from the start. The energy we've had on the road, it's not high enough. [In the] playoffs you've got to take it to another level."
It's not as if the Celtics don't know how to win away from home. During the regular season, they posted the NBA's best road record (31-10). The biggest difference in Boston's play on the road during the postseason has been defense. The lockdown defense that has held LeBron James to 8-for-42 shooting in the first two games and Cleveland to 33.1 percent often hasn't made the trip with them.
In the three road games against the Hawks, Boston allowed Atlanta to average 100.7 points and shoot 47.6 percent. The Celtics were also outrebounded in those games by an average of 39.3-35.3. In six playoff wins at home, they've held opponents to 75.5 points per game and 35.2 percent shooting, and have averaged 43 rebounds.
"When you travel, you can't let the team beat you in transition, and no second-chance opportunities," said guard Ray Allen. "Those are backbreakers when you can keep a team from getting the points they wouldn't get, and make them play against good half-court defense. We learned a lot of lessons from the Atlanta series, and they're going to carry over for us to Cleveland."
