Celtics lead wire-to-wire in Miami, roll past Heat 104-84 for 2-1 lead in East series

MIAMI (AP) — For 2 days, the Boston Celtics lamented getting crushed on their dwelling flooring. And after they lastly acquired to play once more, they set free all of the frustration.

The consequence: a defensive masterpiece.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown every scored 22 factors to guide a balanced method, and the Celtics soundly beat the Miami Warmth 104-84 on Saturday evening to a take a 2-1 lead of their Japanese Convention first-round playoff collection.

“We didn’t make too many changes,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “We performed a bit bit more durable, we performed more durable and we dictated the physicality and the tempo of the sport. It’s the straightforward issues that you need to do underneath a excessive stage of stress, excessive stage of adversity. I assumed our guys did an incredible job of dictating that tonight.”

Sport 4 is Monday in Miami, the place the Celtics are 9-2 of their final 11 video games and 6-1 of their final seven playoff video games.

Tatum added 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the Celtics, who led Sport 3 wire-to-wire and reclaimed the home-court edge that they misplaced when Miami received Sport 2 in Boston. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 factors and Derrick White scored 16 for the Celtics.

The final time both staff noticed these form of numbers — Boston on protection, Miami on offense — was Sport 5 of the East finals on Could 25, 2022, a 93-80 Celtics highway win that helped them attain that season’s NBA Finals. The Warmth had scored greater than 84 factors in each recreation since and the Celtics had allowed greater than 84 in each recreation since.

“That’s the place we’re going to win video games, on the defensive finish,” Tatum stated.

Bam Adebayo scored 20 factors for eighth-seeded Miami, which stays with out starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier due to accidents. Nikola Jovic and Tyler Herro every scored 15 for the Warmth, who acquired 12 from Jaime Jaquez Jr.

“They took us out of stuff we wish to get to,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra stated. “They have been the extra bodily staff. They bodied us, bullied us on screens, acquired by means of stuff, distorted screens, all the things. … It’s a must to credit score them for that. They have been the extra bodily staff, the staff with extra physicality and drive on each ends of the court docket.”

Bounce-back efforts have been a development for Boston this season. The Celtics — the No. 1 total seed within the playoffs — don’t lose typically, and after they do, they have a tendency to only come out and win their subsequent one. Boston is now 15-4 within the recreation instantly following a loss this season, its common victory margin in these video games 12.2 factors.

“Simply mindset,” Brown stated. “We put an emphasis on protection, attempting to make them uncomfortable a bit bit … and I believe that opened up the sport.”

Boston by no means trailed in Sport 1, a 114-94 win, and by no means trailed in Sport 3 both on its option to beating Miami for the fifth time in six conferences this season. The Celtics led 21-12 after one, setting the tone for the way nothing would come simply for the Warmth.

Halfway by means of the second quarter, it — briefly — appeared like Miami had weathered the storm. The Warmth have been making a little bit of a run, the constructing had some life and Herro had a have a look at a 3-pointer that might have gotten the Warmth inside 10.

It rimmed out. The storm was not weathered. It was, in truth, simply beginning.

The Celtics outscored Miami 20-8 within the subsequent 4 ½ minutes to go up 61-36 and the sport was actually by no means unsure once more It was 63-39 on the break, Boston dominant in each which manner — a 19-2 edge in factors off turnovers, a 26-12 scoring edge within the paint, 27-15 in rebounds, 13-6 in assists.

The lead reached 29 within the second half, Miami by no means getting nearer than 18 after halftime.

“From the soar, they have been extra aggressive than us,” Jovic stated. “That shouldn’t be occurring.”

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