It was not a pretty sight for Miami Heat fans on Tuesday night as the Boston Celtics dominated Miami in the second half of the game. Out of the gate, it was a tough game, going down by as much as 15 in the first half and then coming back to tie the game a few minutes later; the Heat showed resilience. However, that resilience ran out when the Celtics put up 40 in the third quarter and went on to win the game 122-92.
Miami Struggles
The Heat had a rough game defensively, giving up 122 points, but the struggles went beyond just that. The Heat allowed the Celtics to shoot a comfortable 52 percent and put up 40 points in the paint. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined to score a total of 49 points with 16 rebounds. Mostly in part to the absence of Jimmy Butler, the Celtics cruised by the Heat in the second half, putting up 68 second half points. The Heat bench also struggled as it could only contribute 23 of their total 92 points.
Celtics
The Celtics played one of their better games of the season. Boston lit up Miami’s defense possession after possession. They played great defensively forcing 18 turnovers from the Heat. The Celtics also blocked six shots and stole the ball nine times. Offensively, they looked great, putting up 120+ points for the second time in four games. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum once again played better together combining for over one third of the teams total points; a great sign for the Celtics who have lacked consistency all season.
Stats and Notes
- Max Strus put up 27 points for the Heat, his second most this season.
- The Heat starters scored nearly 70 points combined on the floor.
- Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have both scored 20 or more points each in their last four games.
- The Heat outshot the Celtics from beyond the arc and at the line despite losing by 30 points.
- The Celtics scored 40 points in the third quarter, their first time scoring 40 or more in one quarter since December 4th of 2021 against the Trail Blazers.
(Featured image by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)