Celtics-Heat preview: Overcoming those trust issues

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BOSTON – Trust the process.
 
You hear it all the time in Philadelphia from Sixers fans who hold out hope that the past few years of tanking and the picks it brought, will someday deliver a championship.
 
The Celtics are in a much different position, but it seems they too need a bit of reminding about trust.
 
While the Celtics would love to turn the page and have all the focus now on tonight’s game against the Miami Heat, it’s impossible to completely flush away Thursday’s loss to the Cavaliers that seemed to highlight another game in which trust and communication issues ultimately led to defeat.
 
And that lack of trust was really on display defensively in the 124-118 loss at Cleveland.
 
“If they have 100 [points] after three quarters, you don’t have a real chance to beat them,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters after the game.
 
Said Isaiah Thomas: “We didn’t trust the scout. We weren’t doing what the coaches told us to do, what we went over in the morning for whatever reason. We were a step slow to everything we did.”
 
And if that happens tonight against the Heat, Boston (19-14) could easily drop a second straight game as well as see their record at the TD Garden back at break-even (7-7) status.
 
Despite Miami’s struggles this season, the one thing the Heat do a consistently good job with is playing hard.
 
But that hasn’t been easy, especially with the man who orchestrates their offense, point guard Goran Dragic who has been dealing with back spasms and whose availability tonight isn’t a sure thing.
 
“Goran probably should not have been out there,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after Miami’s 91-82 loss at Charlotte on Thursday night which extended their road losing streak to six in a row.
 
His availability will certainly have an effect on tonight’s game, but the health of opponents is the last thing the Celtics need to be thinking about now.
 
Instead, their focus has to center around how to get on the same page defensively and do so on a night-in, night-out basis.
 
The players are confident that they are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, but haven’t quite broken through to where they stand head and shoulders above most.
 
The Cleveland loss was a painful reminder of this reality.
 
“That’s what the really good teams do; you make a mistake, they capitalize on it,” Thomas said. “Whether it be the Cavs, the [Golden State] Warriors, the [San Antonio] Spurs, those types of teams, don’t let you live when you make mistakes. We’re not on that level yet, but we can be one day.”

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