Celtics notebook: Avery Bradley"s defense throws off Jimmy Butler"s game

Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics - Full Game Highlights | Game 2 | April 18, 2017 | NBA Playoffs

CHICAGO Though Avery Bradley gives up five inches when he guards the Bulls Jimmy Butler, the Celtics guard doesnt see the difference.

Size doesnt matter. Its heart, Bradley said following yesterdays practice at Roosevelt University.

In Fridays Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, Chicago increasingly turned to Butler to run the offense in the absence of Rajon Rondo (broken thumb), and going forward that means Bradley will apply even more on-ball pressure. Bradley had a strong hand in Butlers 7-for-21 shooting (0-for-4 on 3-pointers) to go with zero assists in the Cs win that made it a 2-1 series in the Bulls favor.

Im just trying to make every shot tough on him hes a good player and I just want to speed him up a bit and force him into some tough shots, Bradley said.

Bradleys work can certainly be must-see viewing for his teammates.

Im trying to figure it out so I can try to figure out what hes doing, Gerald Green said. I just think he has the instincts of it. He just knows how to read. To be honest, Ive been in the league 12 years and Ive played overseas, Ive played D-League, Ive played a lot of basketball. And he might be the best defender Ive ever had, probably besides Tony Allen (the former Celtic now with the Memphis Grizzlies).

It should be quite a show in tonights Game 4, with Butler intent on elevating the challenge.

You wouldnt say anything if I was making them, Butler said yesterday of his shots in Game 3. Ill continue to take what the game gives me, take jumpers if Im open.

Rondo in Leg-gate

A source said the NBA is looking into Leg-gate, after Rondo was caught on camera sticking his leg out as the Celtics Jae Crowder ran in front of the Bulls bench in Game 3. Rondo, deadpanning his response, blamed it on an old Celtics injury.

When you tear an ACL, your leg gets stiff every once in a while, Rondo said. I had to stretch it out.

Green was willing to take Rondos word for it.

He may have had to stretch his leg out. I dont know. I aint no snitch, so I dont know, Green said. Thats not something I grew up being a part of. Where Im from they know snitches get stitches. So I dont know. . . .

Green is nursing a sore left ankle, but hes not about to let it get in the way.

If I can play without a finger, I can play with that, he said, referring way back to a childhood accident.

As a child he suffered permanent damage to his right index finger after getting it caught in a nerf hoop attached to a door in the family home in Houston.

KG motivates em

Prior to Game 3, the Cs got a taste of what sharing a locker room with Kevin Garnett must have been like, via a motivational audio message from the 2007-08 NBA champion a pep talk the team admitted had an effect.

Coach Brad Stevens wasnt with the team when KGs booming rave-up was played over a speaker system. But he had listened a day earlier.

Obviously everybody looks up to him and he had a great impact and continues to have a great impact as a former Celtic, Stevens said.

Said Marcus Smart: It was big. Everybody felt a little spark that started a fire for us and got us pumped and it was something we needed to hear. Its always good when you got a guy like KG delivering that message. We took that to heart. I just remember it was on the speaker and everybody knows when KG talks, his voice is very demanding and you just listen. So everybody was quiet, just listening to what he had to say.

Source: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2017/04/celtics_notebook_avery_bradley_s_defense_throws_off_jimmy_butler_s_game