Heat unable to pull off sweep, lose to Celtics 116-99
Series now shifts back to Boston with Heat sporting a 3-1 series lead for a pivotal game 5.
The Miami Heat had all the momentum in their favor going into game 4 tonight. Having a 3-0 series lead as an 8 seed against the 2nd best team overall in the NBA and coming off a near 30 point blowout in game 3 had everybody thinking this series is over. The Boston Celtics made people rethink that, and fast. Miami loses 116-99 and heads back to TD Garden with now a 3-1 series lead.
Boston had 6 players score in double digits, led by Jayson Tatum’s 33 points. He finally showed up in the 4th quarter this season and got to all his spots on the floor throughout the whole game.
Tatum shot efficiently, going 14/22 from the field and knocking down 4/9 from 3 point range.
After going scoreless in the 4th quarter throughout the first 3 games of this series, Tatum responded by hitting numerous big shots in clutch time tonight.
The Celtics were forcing Miami into tough turnovers that lead to a lot of easy buckets in transition.
The Heat struggled to shoot, especially from 3 point range. They shot an abysmal 25% as Boston shot 40%. Miami also got out played in the rebounding department, losing 44-39.
Boston’s supporting cast came to play tonight, as players like Grant and Robert Williams, Al Horford and Derrick White all had a strong impact on the game.
The offense for the Heat looked extremely stagnant in the second half. Not much ball movement, taking difficult shots, turning the ball over… it wasn’t pretty.
On Miami’s side, Jimmy Butler led the team with 29 points but struggled a bit shooting wise. He shot just 9/21 from the field and missed lots of shots close to the rim that he usually makes.
Bam Adebayo was virtually nonexistent offensively, dropping just 10 points and 5 rebounds. The big man only attempted 7 shots and made 4 of them. That cannot happen from your All-Star player. It’s one thing to have an off night, but he needs to find a way to be more assertive and attempt more shots.
The role players on Miami’s end cooled down a bit after game 3’s blowout victory. Duncan Robinson, who had 22 points in game 3, had just 2 points on 1/5 shooting tonight. Have to give credit to the Boston defense, who made it very difficult for Robinson to get off good looks.
Now the Celtics head back home with momentum and the pressure shifting over to the Heat.
If Boston wins game 5, Miami puts themselves in a scary position. That potential game 6 back in South Beach would basically have to be treated like a game 7. It would be a situation that the Heat would not want to risk putting themselves in.
The guys need to bounce back and play with more energy and drive to get the job done on the road in Boston.
Game 5 takes place Thursday night at 8:30 PM ET as Miami will try to advance to the NBA Finals on Boston’s home court, just like how Boston did in Miami last season.
I was worried after the first quarter. The Heat were winning, but they weren't getting into passing lanes, deflecting the ball on defense, or winning 50/50 balls. I haven't seen the numbers, but the Heat supposedly lead the league in "hustle stats" in the playoffs. I'm willing to bet they lost those hustle stats tonight.
All that said, I called the Heat win in Game 2 when I was hanging out with a friend, and after the game he asked me what I thought would happen next. I said the Heat would split in Miami and close the Celtics out on their home floor. I still believe it. But if they don't win Game 5, I'm going to start worrying
Celts made their 3s Heat didn't. They had better ball movement and locked up on D. As a desperate team they responded well so props to them. Got to do it in Boston. Done it before. Twice actually. Bam will show up next game. Rest. Recover. Grind again. One win.