The Boston Celtics are surprisingly down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, as the series transitions to Miami and the challenge only gets harder from here on out.

Although Boston has lost the first two games of this series, you have to acknowledge that they could’ve won each of those games.

Looking at the stats from both games, the only metrics the Celtics are down in are rebounds and steals. But the biggest and arguably most important element the Celtics have lacked in compared to the Heat is effort.

Both teams are averaging just about the same field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and assists through the first two games.

In Game 1, the Celtics allowed Miami to score 46-points in the third quarter and only lost by seven. In Game 2, the Celtics couldn’t hit any shots down the stretch to match Jimmy Butler and only lost by six.

The common denominator in both games is that the Celtics aren’t finish games and aren’t scoring much at all in the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter of Game 2, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown didn’t make any field goals (but Tatum got to the free throw line five times).

In clutch-time, the Celtics have floundered in the Eastern Conference Finals. In seven minutes, the Celtics have scored only eight points on 1-of-9 shooting and missed all six 3-pointers they’ve attempted. They’ve also made five turnovers and have been outscored by the Heat by 13 during this time.

Here’s a graph of how the Celtics have performed in clutch-time during this postseason.

The clutch numbers aren’t great. Jaylen Brown is the one who stands out the most. It shows that he shoots in those moments rather than drive and potentially create an opportunity to get to the free throw line.

The Celtics need to play harder and with more effort on defense. Both of these games were winnable if they tried harder and played with more effort.

Game 3 is tonight in Miami’s. Let’s see what version of the Celtics show up tonight.

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Photo Credit: Jim Davis, The Boston Globe