The Miami Heat traveled to TD Garden Wednesday night to take on the red-hot Boston Celtics. Miami came into this game sitting atop the Eastern Conference but just by a narrow margin. Miami came into this one fresh off of a win against Sacramento, however, before that, a four-game losing streak brought the Heat’s comfortability as their number one seed to a screeching halt. Before this game, Boston was only one game back from the Heat which made the stakes of this game extremely high for both squads.
Start Strong but Finish Stronger
Boston came out of the gate swinging. Jaylen Brown erupted for 11 quick points and the Celtics looked like they might just run away with this game. But, as the old saying goes, “It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish”. Boston and Miami fought back and forth all game, with neither team giving up too much ground in the process. The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 of the Celtics’ 98 total points. Marcus Smart also started this game off with red-hot shooting but quickly cooled off and the Heat looked to capitalize and prove why they are the top dogs in the East.
The Real Deal
Miami did what they do best against the Celtics, that is, play gritty and team-first basketball. Miami also showed they won’t back down from any challenge. Boston quickly gained all the momentum on their home floor and it was up to Miami to silence the crowd and let people know that they are here for the long run. Jimmy Butler dropped 24 points while being the leader that pushed Miami to win ball games. Kyle Lowry looked spectacular in this game, hitting big shot after big shot while tallying up 23 total points and being a reliable veteran presence. Bam was doing Bam things, being the lockdown defender he is while contributing through rebounds and hustle. All this plus a combination of determination and a winning mindset ultimately led to Miami securing the win and distancing themselves from the rest of the pack for the number one seed.
Clutch Gene
The MVP of the night has to go to Max Strus. Strus showed up in the clutch moments of the fourth quarter. The Heat finally pulled away in the final three minutes of the game. The catalyst of the comeback was shown through the spark and lock-down defense of Max Strus. Strus is usually a shooter, but made his presence known on the defensive end of things.
Up Next
Miami has a few days off and then they are back in action Saturday Night. Miami will take on DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls. This game is another significant matchup for the race in the Eastern Conference, but Miami won’t back down.