In the Eastern Conference Finals G4, the Celtics were able to easily score a 20-point victory, and Roberto Williams' comeback was indispensable. Rowe played 18 minutes and 38 seconds, shooting 4 of 5 and 4 of 4 from the free throw line, and had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks (including 5 frontcourts) and a 15-point net win.
Lowe's comeback is not only a matter of how many points he scores, but his defense is the most important thing for the Celtics. In this campaign, Adebayo, who had 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in the last game, played 28 minutes, shot only 3 of 5, had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, and made 3 turnovers. According to statistics, in the 3 games in which Rowe played in this series, Adebayor averaged only 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0 steals per game. Adebayor may be the league's most bullying inside player, and when he encounters a tough interior, his performance will plummet. When it comes to the inside line, which is obviously not as strong as his, Adebayor will play a super price.
In this year's playoffs, Lowe played only 8 games due to injury, averaging 20.9 minutes per game, 8.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 2 blocks, shooting 63.4% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line. Until now, the playoffs have all been eliminated by stars like Jokic, Alphabet Brother, Embiid and so on. Of the remaining 4 teams, the Green Army's interior advantage is highlighted, which is their biggest advantage in impacting the championship.
There are 4 teams left, the Green Army has the strongest inside line, followed by the Heat, the Warriors are third, and the Lone Ranger is the last seat. The Warriors' interior line is their biggest shortcoming, but because the Lone Ranger interior line is worse, Rooney can turn the tide under the Lone Ranger's basket in the Western Conference Finals, averaging 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in the series. G2 shot 10 of 14, 1 of 1 on the free throw line, had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists, grabbed 5 frontcourt rebounds, and was elected the MVP of the Warriors that game.
The Celtics called out to the Warriors. The Western Conference Finals Warriors led the Lone Rangers 3-0, and if the Green Army successfully crossed the Heat to reach the Finals, the only opponent to consider was the Warriors. There has never been a team in NBA history that is 0-3 behind and can still turn the tables, and the Lone Ranger does not have the strength to make history. Rooney can turn the tide under the Lone Ranger's basket, but it will be difficult to play against the Celtics.
The Celtics have not only Lowe, the god of the sea, but also Horford. Lowe and Horford's twin towers, which can both protect the frame and sweep the outside to change defenders, is a perfect combination of interior lines in terms of the defensive end. In this year's playoffs, Horford returned to the top, playing for the Green Army in 14 games, averaging 36.3 minutes per game, 12.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.6 blocks, shooting 53.6% from the field and 49.2% from three-point range. If you have a choice, I believe the Warriors would prefer to meet the Heat in the Finals than the Celtics. The Celtics' interior line was even blown up by Adebayo, and Rooney couldn't resist it.
The Eastern Conference Finals scored 2-2 and turned into two wins in three sets, with the Heat, the first in the East, having home advantage. But from the analysis of the previous 4 games, the situation is not good for the Heat. The 2 games the Heat won were tough, and the 2 games they lost were routs. In addition, when both Horford and Lowe Towers were on the court, the Heat lost.
Injuries may become the biggest resistance for the Celtics to impact the championship. Lowe suffered a meniscus tearing injury late in the regular season and didn't come back until the first round of G3 in the playoffs. Despite his comeback, Lowe is still plagued by knee pain from time to time, missing four games in the Eastern Conference semifinals and bucks series, and the Heat missing G3.
The Celtics are strong when the lineup is in order, but Lowe's injury is an X factor. Smart also missed G4 due to an ankle sprain. G3 Smart suffered a 90-degree foot injury and insisted on finishing the game. Smart is the best defensive player of the season, and whether he can make a healthy return in the later games is likely to determine the success or failure of the Celtics this season.