Winderman’s view: Will downsizing be the next step in East finals, even after Heat win?

BOSTON – Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 111-105 NBA playoff victory over the Boston Celtics:

– Among the biggest surprises in the East finals to this point is the Celtics electing not to play to their apparent strength at the start of games.

– The height of Robert Williams might have been needed at the outset against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

– But Bam Adebayo isn’t Joel Embiid and the Heat aren’t the 76ers.

– By the start of Friday’s second half, the Celtics were back to their small lineup.

– Derrick White in and Williams out.

– That created conundrums for the Heat.

– Including having to have Bam Adebayo defend Jaylen Brown.

– Because the only player on the court Kevin Love could be matched against was Al Horford.

– The next move in the chess match seemingly belongs to Erik Spoelstra.

– Start Caleb Martin?

– Who was as energetic as anyone Friday.

– Even if it means benching Love?

– In that scenario, Love could play as the Heat’s backup center.

– Instead of struggling Cody Zeller.

– The point, counterpoint grows more intriguing.

– It’s not about blinking.

– It’s about making the right move.

– Even as the Heat stand up 2-0 in the series.

– Initially, the Celtics remained with their big starting lineup featuring Williams and Horford opening alongside Jayson Tatum, Brown and Marcus Smart.

– So the Heat continued to open with Adebayo, Love, Jimmy Butler, Max Strus and Kyle Lowry.

– The Celtics’ big lineup lasted all of 4:25, before White replaced Williams.

– Martin, Kyle Lowry and Zeller entered together as the first three off the Heat bench.

– Duncan Robinson then made it nine deep for the Heat.

– That has had Haywood Highsmith out of this East finals mix.

– Adebayo’s second free throw was the 200th of his playoff career.

– Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked pregame about his perspective on the high-octane coaching carousel this offseason.

– It’s understanding that regardless of who you are, [some] things are in your control, some things aren’t,” he said. “At the end of the day, as coaches we are all doing the best we can, and that’s it. When it’s your time, it’s your time.”

– Mazzulla said it’s an accepted element of his profession and others.

– “We’re out in the front and it’s our job to set the temperature, set the tone,” he said. “When it doesn’t go well, that’s what we are held accountable to. We are not the only job where that’s the case, and so that’s just how the world works. It is what it is.”

– Mazzulla went in confident of a strong Celtics response to his team’s Game 1 loss.

– “This is a strong locker room. So they stick together. They hold each other accountable. They always respond,” he said. “I have full faith and trust that they will. The film session was just a collaboration of us with each other, just being honest about what we thought about certain points of the game and where we need to be better.”

– Mazzulla before the game addressed the unique challenges presented by Butler and the Heat.

– “This team plays much different than our last series,” he said, coming off a seven-game series against the 76ers. “That’s just something that we have to adjust to, have to be ready for.”

– Former Heat and Celtics forward Antoine Walker was among those in attendance.

– Tacko Fall was in the locker-room hallway greeting the Celtics as they took the court.

– Ludacris also was in attendance.