Key Second
Boston dominated Recreation 3 from begin to end, all whereas delivering a message to the Warmth that their surprising Recreation 2 victory had no likelihood of being repeated Saturday evening.
The Celtics scored the primary factors of the evening off a 3-pointer from Kristaps Porzingis and by no means seemed again from there. They ultimately pulled forward by as many as 29 factors, all whereas by no means trailing for a single second.
Bam Adebayo did reply Porzingis’ 3-pointer with a traditional three-point play of his personal to knot issues up at 3-3. Nonetheless, the Celtics have been off and operating from there.
Boston scored the sport’s subsequent 9 factors to drag forward 12-3 and to take early management of the sport. All 9 of these factors have been scored by the dynamic duo of Cookies & Cream.
Cream, AKA Porzingis, jumpstarted the run with 5 straight factors, the primary two coming off an alley-oop slam from Jrue Vacation, and the subsequent three arriving from past the arc off a dish from Jayson Tatum. Cookies, AKA Jaylen Brown, then obtained into the combo with a driving layup and a tip-in off a missed 3-pointer from Derrick White.
Whereas Porzingis and Brown have been scoring 9 straight, Boston’s protection was placing the clamps down on Miami’s offense on the different finish of the ground. The Celtics pressured Miami into 9 consecutive misses and a turnover following Adebayo’s early bucket.
The sport may as properly have ended there, with the Celtics main 12-3 on the 6:20 mark. All Boston did was draw back from there earlier than coasting into the winner’s circle to take a 2-1 sequence lead.
Key Participant
The Jays tied one another for Recreation 3’s high scoring mark, so how will we break the tie? On this evening, it’s by effectivity and defensive numbers, so Jaylen Brown will get the nod.
Brown tied Jayson Tatum for the sport’s high scoring mark with 22 factors. He scored these factors on 11-for-20 capturing from the sphere, good for a 55 % conversion price. That subject objective share was the very best within the sport among the many seven gamers who tried no less than 10 pictures. Brown additionally added in three assists on the offensive finish, whereas committing only one turnover.
The star wing put in work on the defensive finish, too. He grabbed six defensive boards and eight rebounds general to complete second on the crew in that class, trailing solely Tatum’s 11 complete rebounds. Brown led the sport in steals with two and tied Miami’s crew complete with that quantity. He additionally was considered one of 4 Celtics to dam a shot through the sport, as he swatted away one shot.
Field Rating Nuggets
- The groups mixed to make simply 20 3-pointers. That is after Boston made 22 throughout Recreation 1, and after Miami made 23 throughout Recreation 2.
- Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum tied for the sport excessive in scoring with 22 factors apiece.
- Bam Adebayo led Miami with 20 factors.
- Boston held Miami to only 41.6 % capturing from the sphere.
- The Celtics dedicated simply 5 complete turnovers.
- Tatum led the sport outright in each rebounds (11) and assists (six), and he tied Brown for the highest scoring mark with 22 factors.
- Brown’s two steals tied Miami’s crew complete.
- Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis every blocked two pictures.
- Porzingis scored 18 factors on simply 9 pictures.
- Derrick White added in 16 factors.
Quote of the Night time
“We had two days off, so any days off after a loss within the Playoffs is hard. So we have been simply prepared to return out right here and play. We performed proper poise on each ends of the ground, and we gotta repeat it on Monday.”
– Jayson Tatum on bouncing again from Recreation 2