Celtics tighten up on defense to beat Heat in Game 3

MIAMI — The ultimate quarter of Recreation 3 noticed a return to the place the Celtics and Warmth stood late in Recreation 1. Boston approached a 30-point lead, Caleb Martin spatted with members of the Celtics after solely placing three factors on the board and an extra short-handed Warmth crew sat at 32.1% from three with 28 makes an attempt. Boston’s offensive rebounding, quick break and 62% capturing contained in the arc devastated them as they turned to deep reserves.

Earlier, Al Horford snuck a full courtroom move to Derrick White from baseline to baseline previous the entire Warmth’s defenders. White fed Brown on the basket for an uncontested two within the low level of a low-effort loss the place the Celtics took benefit of them in all of the hustle classes. Boston performed with urgency. Miami, late, seemed determined, shedding 104-84 at residence. The Celtics lead the sequence 2-1.

The opening quarter eerily resembled Recreation 3 on offense as Brown started 0-for-4, drawing the ball towards Tyler Herro on most possessions and struggling to take advantage of him. The next tempo ultimately freed him for a 3-for-9 begin whereas Boston’s protection held Miami’s offense to a 12-point opening body, 5-for-21 capturing and a 1-for-9 effectivity from three the place the Warmth pulverized Boston’s protection three nights earlier. Whereas stagnant offensively, shedding Kristaps Porziņģis to 2 early fouls and making an attempt an unsuccessful bench double-big unit for 2 minutes — the Celtics established full management early in their very own finish.

That allowed for a 42-27 second quarter that blew the sport open. Boston went to extra pass-pass possessions and compelled 9 first half turnovers that despatched them out in transition. Tatum and Sam Hauser opened the body with back-to-back threes, forcing an Erik Spoelstra timeout one minute in.

Boston returned to the ground with 4 gamers up in a press, and Hauser practically stole the following in-bounds from Haywood Highsmith. After constructing a 13-point lead halfway via the quarter, Jrue Vacation, who completed the half +26 regardless of not taking a shot, tapped passes to Derrick White and Brown within the half courtroom and quick break, respectively, for the primary 5 factors of a 7-0 run. White adopted with the primary of two put-backs, that vaulted him to 12 factors over a 3 minute stretch late within the body.

Boston led by 21 and completed the half with eight offensive rebounds, capturing 38.1% from three and profitable the turnover battle 3-9. Brown closed 5-for-7 after his gradual begin whereas Porzingis and Payton Pritchard added three extra put-backs to mix for 19 factors after their scoring struggles in Recreation 2.

The Warmth responded with a 14-9 run into the third whereas Boston’s offense flattened once more. Brown scored six of these factors whereas the remainder of the Celtics opened 1-for-5, Tatum taking the ultimate shot of that stretch and falling down, lacking a 3 that allowed Adebayo to streak in transition for a straightforward dunk, ending a 10-2 run halfway via the body that lower Boston’s result in 19. The Celtics answered 8-4 out of timeout with White concerned in every play, discovering Brown and Horford inside whereas hitting a layup and bounce shot of his personal.

The Warmth fell behind by 26 after threes from Horford and Vacation out of timeout, whereas Herro tossed the ball off Hauser after Hauser dedicated a foul, selecting up a technical. Pritchard shared phrases with Herro and Martin because the quarter got here to an finish, Miami going to Thomas Bryant and Patty Mills deep off their bench on the lookout for something offensively. Delon Wright didn’t play for private causes, additional thinning a Warmth lineup successfully down Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson, the latter barely in a position to seem in video games. They stayed behind by 20 factors all through the fourth, Tatum and Brown sustaining strain on the Warmth contained in the arc, scoring 22 factors every whereas Porzingis reached 18 on the free throw line.

Recreation 4 is Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Miami.