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The Celtics were first on the board with Marcus Smart coming to the line, but Bam returned fire immediately. Boston was once again ridiculous from the field (66%) with Jaylen Brown and others hitting disputed looks.
The Heat struggled to protect the paint with many of the Celtics’ points coming from within (they shot 47% on rim shots in the first half), Boston was also much better at keeping control of the ball just by spinning the ball once. in the first trimester.
Miami’s reserves were strong and they slowed the Celtics with smart defense. Even DJJ watched the first few minutes. Miami really struggled to grab offensive boards early, severely limiting second-chance opportunities.
Despite Boston’s solid shooting percentage, the Heat would enter the second quarter just 9 behind.
Tyler Herro put the offense in favor of the Heat in the second quarter, with a two and a three in consecutive possessions. DJJ also got involved with three of his own. At the other end, Boston continued to party on the harpsichord and even made it go beyond the arc.
On offense, Herro really kept Miami at a distance when he hit two consecutive 3-pointers. It’s so hard to believe I’m a rookie. Those three (and a Tatum coach) sparked a 7-0 run for the Heat. However, that wouldn’t last with the Heat racking up some sloppy possessions and Boston gaining a lead at the other end.
In addition to Herro and Bam, Miami’s offense was stagnant with Jimmy struggling to take fouls and the Heat simply making bad passes. They managed to get things back towards the end of the quarter and close the gap slightly with Jimmy getting on the board.
The Celtics would score on three straight outings to go up by 10 and completely nullify Miami’s effort. The Heat completely imploded to end the half. It’s not something we’re used to seeing on this Heat team.
Jimmy was more aggressive starting this half, driving to the rim and receiving absolutely no calls from the referee. At the other end, Jaylen Brown and others made it to the basket with ease as Miami seemed distracted by the number of fouls being imposed.
The Celtics would not slow down with Williams, Tatums and others continuing to increase the score (they would go up 18).
Bam did everything he could to get Miami back into the ball game, he was the Heat’s only source of offense. Spo changed the rotation to be small towards the end of the quarter, adding Kendrick Nunn and Derrick Jones Jr. This would see the Heat go ahead 11-1, with Dragic putting numbers on the board and Herro doing the same. .
The Heat would again slightly nullify their efforts with some sloppy possessions and poor decisions when Nunn converted an easy dunk into a three-point play for Tatum.
The Heat trailed 15 and headed for the fourth.
Gordon Hayward hit a three to start the fourth and the Celtics were back up 18. Bam would return fire, but a Kemba three soon after would extend the lead again.
It seemed like it was Boston Celtics vs Bam Adebayo at times.
The Heat had no answers on offense other than Bam, trying to force feed on their shooters. They would lose 15 in a row. Jimmy tried to get things going, pushing himself to the brink and eventually fouling. Around 4 minutes, the Heat finally got things going, reducing the lead to 8 thanks to a great play from Duncan Robinson and Jae Crowder.
Duncan would also play great defense by taking a flagrant foul from Jaylen Brown to get to the line and retrieve the ball. He would lose one, but Bame would immediately score to make it a five-point game. Unfortunately, Marcus Smart came to the line multiple times and the Heat’s lost triples would end this shortly before a Heat comeback.
Too many sloppy mistakes, a poor paint defense and a severe offense foul would cost the Heat this game.
