Going into their series against the Celtics, Heat fans were hoping Bosh would return to the lineup sometime during the conference finals, but that won't be the case. Bosh isn't even close to being ready to play, and he'll probably be sidelined for the remainder of the series.
Bosh was certainly missed during Game 3, as the Heat struggled inside the paint, getting outrebounded by the Celtics. Fortunately for the Heat, Mario Chalmers has really stepped up his game in Bosh's absence, making himself a de facto member of Miami's "big three."
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been pretty solid for the Heat during the Eastern Conference finals, and they'll need more of their leadership in Game 4.
While Miami's role players have been a little inconsistent during the postseason, they're not to blame for the team's problems on Friday. The Heat slacked off at the defensive end, allowing the Celtics to light them up from the field.
The Heat also had a hard time making free throws during Game 3, shooting 50 percent from the charity line. Certainly not acceptable numbers by NBA standards, and they'll need do a lot better when the two rivals meet on June 3.
"You look at all the effort areas we dominated the first two games, we got our butt kicked in all of them last night," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters about the Heat's poor performance in Game 3. "Points in the paint, they pounded us. Rebounding, they pounded us. Free throws, they beat us. Layup attempts, they beat us. Every area that has to do with toughness and effort we lost, and in the first two games we were winning those categories. Loose balls, 50-50 opportunities."
David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Associated Press, "Heat-Celtics Preview"
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