The Boston Celtics would not be denied a chance for a Game 6.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Derrick White took it upon themselves to eviscerate the Miami Heat in front of a raucous home crowd at TD Garden and boy, did they do it in style. The four of them each scored at least 21 points along with having strong overall games on both ends of the floor.
A big key to their 110-97 victory was Brown overcoming his shooting struggles on the way to 21 points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals while making 9 of 18 of his shots and 3 of 5 threes.
That helped match Tatum, who almost had a triple-double with 21 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and two steals while shooting 50% from the field.
With their two stars scoring efficiently, the window was opened for Smart and White to contribute. Smart had 23 points and five steals in a masterclass that showed why he is a former Defensive Player of the Year. He was a pest the entire game and his hustle set the tone for the rest of the team.
White, on the other hand, led the Celtics in scoring with 24 points on a ridiculous 8 of 11 from the field. His efficiency was made more impressive by him shooting 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. The Celtics shot 16 of 39 overall from beyond the arc compared to the Heat’s 9 of 23, and the long-range shooting advantage was again one of the main factors that led to the win.
Just last Game 4, the Celtics punished the Heat for their carelessness with the ball. 16 Heat turnovers turned into 27 points for the Celtics, who never trailed and led by as much as 24 points in Game 5.
The Heat, who were missing Gabe Vincent due to an ankle sprain, couldn’t get anyone going thanks to the Celtics’ defensive intensity. No one broke the 20-point mark, with Duncan Robinson leading them with 18 points.
The manner of the Celtics’ first two victories in the Eastern Conference Final has their fans believing that they could be the very first team to ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the NBA. It’s hard to argue against them at the moment, too, considering how easy they made Games 4 and 5 look after seeming like they had no answer to Jimmy Butler and the rest of Miami over the first three games. The Celtics are also 4-0 this season in elimination games so far.
The Heat will want to try to close out the series in Game 6 in Miami, because the fans in Boston were loud and proud and played a big part in energizing the boys in green today. However, all of the injuries are starting to take their toll, while the Celtics are healthier overall. Malcolm Brogdon was only able to play eight minutes, though, as it’s been revealed that he’s been playing with a partially torn tendon in his arm.
For now, it’s the Celtics that have flipped the script and made the Heat look clueless on the court. Should they win in Miami, the Heat may not have enough left in the tank to try to win Game 7 in Boston. Give the Celtics credit, as they sure look to have turned things around after looking lost and defeated in Game 3.
