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Smart, Horford's returns pay dividends as Celtics dominate Game 2 (3:14)

The Celtics got a huge Game 2 win as they took advantage of having Al Horford and Marcus Smart back. (3:14)

8:00 AM ET

The Boston Celtics are a team of runners.

Danny Ainge used to use a consultant that would identify draft picks and free agents based on their personality types. The Celtics have a collective personality type that is more likely to be a mix of both good fortune and meticulous scouting.

They bounced back for a 127-102 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

This was the fourth time this playoffs that the Celtics have responded to a loss with a win, defeating teams by an average of 17.3 points in those games.

That is on pace to be the fifth-highest margin of victory after a loss in a single playoff game all time, among teams that have played at least three such games. The Celtics did not win the title. The Miami team is sixth on the list.

TEAMMarginWon Title?
2018 Warriors+20.0Yes
1960 Celtics+18.4Yes
2013 Heat+18.1Yes
1986 Celtics+17.7Yes
2022 Celtics+17.3?
2022 Heat+17.0?

Boston is now 10-1 since late January, when the team found its stride. On a night when the Celtics rested their starters, the loss has an asterisk.

This group seems to be more prone to resilience. It's in its nature. The Celtics are like a great marathoner because of their mental acuity and guile.

Their coach, Ime Udoka, has a level-headed demeanor but has worked to instill confidence in his team throughout the season. He does it without relying on emotion, though he isn't afraid to challenge or call out his players. Udoka maintained his confidence when the Celtics looked to be in serious jeopardy in Milwaukee down 3-2 to the defending champion Bucks, a team that had won eight straight closeout games.

He believed that the Celtics were in a good position and relayed that to his team, which responded by winning a Game 6 to even the series. He focused on a few positives from the Game 1 loss, including that Boston won three of the four quarters.

The victory was aided by historic shooting. The last time the Celtics shot more than 50% from the field, 50% from 3-point range and 90% from the foul line was in 1987. The team led by Larry Bird took six 3-pointers. The model took 40 in the second game. The confidence Boston played with was not just good fortune.

Udoka said that they did not play as poorly as last game showed.

Marcus Smart recorded 24 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds in Boston's Game 2 win. Smart missed Game 1 due to a foot injury. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The two stars of the team are immensely confident. The benefit of being even-keeled is that Boston's duo has it.

When he scored 46 points in the Game 6 of the series against the Bucks, he had the same posture he had after his 4-of-19 shooting game in the disastrous Game 3. After a poor second half in Game 1 against the Heat, he had six turnovers in the third quarter alone, and he started Game 2 with a 20-point first half.

The sign of a good team is how they respond to losses, according to Tatum.

Brown had one of the worst games of his career in the first game of the series, but he came back to score 25 points in the first half of the second game. He started a routine of getting on the court for extra work three hours before tip to work on his shooting after that moment.

Marcus Smart is a competitor. He lets it drive his play because he is more emotional than his teammates. He missed the first game because of a foot injury, but came back to score 24 points and dish out 12 assists in the second game, a huge difference from the first game. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year hounded Jimmy Butler, holding him to just five shot attempts on 37 plays.

He made one of his first 10 shots, which is an illustration of how Smart operates. He made seven of his last 10.

Smart said that he had to fight his whole life and that he had no choice but to be tough.

Up and down the roster, the same rings true. Veteran big man Al Horford is Boston's steadiest presence. Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard are both undersized and overlooked in their young careers, but they bring a mix of energy and relentlessness. Williams had 19 points off the bench in the second game. After being attacked by the Heat on offense in Game 1, Pritchard scored 10 points and competed hard on defense, leading to a team-best plus-39 performance.

The Celtics have weaknesses and can be driven to the edge of elimination. Good luck taking four out of seven and the Heat will have to do without home-court advantage to win the series.

The way this group is wired, it almost seems as if they embrace a loss. Logic starts to shine through when you understand their personality.

Tatum said that they had a better presence about themselves.