Recommended reading:

• Zach Lowe discusses Miami’s biggest advantage: “The Heat have made adjustments and the Celtics have committed some uncharacteristic mistakes, but Miami’s 2-0 series lead serves as a reminder of a simple truth: It is better in the NBA to be young and athletic. The Heat’s speed and athleticism are killing the Celtics on both ends of the court, and not just on the highlight plays that will come to define our memories of this second-round matchup if it continues this way.”

• Jeff Clark wonders about Boston’s chances in the series: “Part of me wanted to write a rah-rah, “we can do it” type of piece this morning to cheer everyone up (well, at least the “optimists”) but I didn’t want to sound fake or disingenuous.  (Note: perhaps it is for the best, the only title I could come up with was M.C. Hammer’s “Too Legit To Quit.”  I know, I’m sorry.)  On the other hand, I simply cannot count this team out either.  There’s too much history there.  Too much talent.  Too much experience.  Too much pride. Several commented yesterday that the torch isn’t passed.  It is ripped out of the former team’s hand.  Well you are gonna have to kill this team to take that torch out of its cold, dead hands.  Maybe that’s just what is going to happen, but not before they strike back and do some damage on the other side.  This team may or may not come back and win, but they will fight back.  Of that I’m sure.”

• Tom King points out Jeff Green’s defensive shortcomings: “James did not record a field goal until Green entered the game for an injured Pierce with 5:05 left in the first quarter. After the substitution, James missed his first two shots, though both were high-percentage attempts. The misses only encouraged James to be more aggressive. He called for the ball like a hungry Labrador retriever begging for table scraps. James scored his first basket with 3:03 left in the first quarter on an alley-oop from Wade. Green unwittingly ran into a back-screen and gave up on the play, looking for help from Davis, who clung to Anthony like a life-raft, ignoring James cutting freely to the hoop for an emphatic slam. On the very next play, Green didn’t even try to fight through a ball-screen, Davis didn’t step up to help out, and James waltzed in for an easy deuce. … With Green guarding him, James made 8-of-12 field goals, scoring 17 points. By this writer’s count, Green contested just two of the 12 shots.”

• Boston has had a difficult time getting open looks. But Brian Windhorst explains that the defense holds it share of the blame, too: “The Boston Celtics are down big in their series with the Miami Heat because they’re having a major malfunction with their greatest asset: team defense. Ask Celtics coach Doc Rivers the best way to defend LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and he’ll tell you the same thing that’s been the bedrock defensive philosophy for his team the last several years: Make them take jump shots. James and Wade are two of the best scorers in this generation, but neither is a great or even consistent shooter outside 15 feet. This is especially true in the postseason, when many possessions end in isolation situations and percentages tend to dip further. This is scouting, coaching and game-planning 101 at this level of the game. The execution of that strategy, however, is proving to be a problem for the Celtics and is a major contributing factor to their being down 2-0. Wade and James are abusing the Celtics with interior shots and free throws created by getting those interior shots. Unless something changes quickly and Boston can get its defensive mojo back, clawing back into the series doesn’t seem likely.”

• Kevin Arnovitz shares what we all know—”iso Glen Davis” is not an effective fourth quarter play call: “The Celtics had about 55 purely half-court possessions on Tuesday night, or about 14 or so per quarter (the rest occurred on pushed balls, early offense and transition). To spend almost half of those on Davis isolation plays at the most crucial juncture of the game is the basketball equivalent of ordering fish at a steakhouse — and it’s not what the Celtics normally do.”

• Bob Ryan lauds Miami’s superstar duo: “Both James and Wade have been masters at picking their spots in this series. Neither seems intent on being The Man. They truly are allowing the game to come to them. But when the spotlight shines on one or the other, boy, is he ready.”

• Kevin Garnett blogged about the two losses: “So we’re down 2 and not much to say. Fighting hard and guys are beat up. Not happy with our games and we gotta figure it out! We need to be a team and quick. They’ve been more aggressive and we gotta start attacking in all areas! Long flight back, so tons of discussion about what we gotta do! Heading back to our place on Saturday, so we know the Garden with be rocking!!!!!”