Brad Stevens hints at lineup change after Game 3 loss
The Boston Celtics need to make some adjustments after getting pan-fried by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, and Brad Stevens knows where to start.
Speaking with reporters after the Celtics’ 116-86 loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Stevens hinted at the possibility of a lineup change for Game 4. Here is what he said, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.
Stevens hints at Game 4 adjustment: "Right now, with the way they’re playing, we’re going to need some other guys to be ready to go come Monday."
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) May 20, 2018
Stevens has trotted out the same starting lineup in all three games (Terry Rozier-Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum-Marcus Morris-Al Horford) with Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes as the main cogs off the bench. But while the strategy worked in the first two games (both wins for Boston by a combined 38 points), the tables turned on the road in Game 3. Morris (2-of-8 shooting and a team-worst plus-minus of -28) and Smart (2-of-9, -19) were particularly brutal.
The Celtics are still in the driver’s seat up 2-1 in the series, so there is no need for any drastic changes. But tweaking his rotation a bit might be a good way for Stevens to respond to an adjustment that Tyronn Lue made for Game 3.
