Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Heat: Boston Starts Fast and Ends Strong

Tatum scored a game-high 29 points, Brown finished with 28, and last year's top-ranked defense turned down the heat as Boston improved to 2-0.

Bobby Krivitsky

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 29 points, producing 18 in the second half; Jaylen Brown finished with 28, and the Celtics held the hosting Heat to under 30 points in all four quarters.

Between Boston's stingy defense, crisp ball movement, and capitalizing when foul trouble forced Bam Adebayo out of the game in both halves, just like in Game 7 of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics went to South Beach and outperformed Miami.

Now, for a deep dive into what stood out in Boston's 111-104 win over Miami.

Boston Blitzes Miami with Strong Two-Way Performance in Opening Frame

The Heat jumped out to a 13-8 lead at the 6:38 mark, with Bam Adebayo accounting for nearly half of their scoring.

The Celtics paid for leaving him open for a pair of mid-range jumpers. He followed that up by attacking Al Horford off the dribble and made a sweeping layup over the Boston big man.

But when Adebayo picked up his second foul on the Celtics' ensuing possession, Erik Spoelstra called him to the bench. Immediately after he subbed out, Boston went on an 8-2 run, including Jayson Tatum scanning over the top of the defense and delivering a dime to Derrick White for a right corner three.

The Celtics ended the first frame in style, starting with Noah Vonleh, who had already stripped Kyle Lowry at the basket and swatted a Max Strus layup, tracking down an offensive rebound and spinning by Haywood Highsmith for a thunderous dunk.

After that, Grant Williams blocked a Highsmith three to close the quarter. Boston finished the first on a 22-9 run.

White led all scorers in the opening period with ten points, taking and making a pair of threes without hesitation. Tatum provided seven, and Brown chipped in nine points and three assists, producing three layups and getting a three from 28 feet to rattle in.

The Celtics consistently generated quality shots in the first quarter, eventually finding their rhythm, capitalizing on 48 percent of their field goals and 4/12 threes. They also scored 12 points in the paint.

At the other end, Boston limited Miami to 40 percent shooting, including 2/7 from beyond the arc, delivering a two-way performance that translated to a 30-22 advantage entering the second frame.

Heat Hit Back in Second Quarter

The Heat began the second quarter by attacking the basket, translating to three buckets at the rim. Building on that, Miami made seven-straight field goals, capped by an Adebayo 18-foot jump shot that made it 43-37 Boston at the 7:37 mark.

Vonleh's first shift, which ended a minute later, deserves recognition. He threw down two emphatic jams, grabbed five rebounds, including three at the offensive end, and swatted two shots in nine minutes.

But Boston struggled containing Tyler Herro in the second frame as the former Kentucky guard entered halftime with a game-high 15 points, doing most of his damage from inside the paint after attacking off the dribble.

For the Celtics, who went into the break with a 59-51 lead with a team-high 14 points on 5/8 shooting. Along with his three assists and rebounds, he also had two blocks. Tatum scored 11 on 4/10 shooting.

As a collective, Boston knocked down 52.5 percent of its shots from the field, including 9/21 threes (42.9 percent). Effective ball movement was the key to those figures, with the Celtics assisting on 9/21 makes.

And while Boston didn't provide as much resistance defensively in the second quarter, the Celtics held the Heat under 30, with both teams limiting each other to 29 points.

Boston blocked seven shots in the first half, and Miami shot 44.9 percent from the floor while struggling beyond the arc, going 4/15 (26.7 percent).

The Celtics' performance on the defensive end, coupled with their ball movement, is at the root of them leading by eight entering the third quarter.

Miami and Boston Go Blow-for-Blow in Third Frame

The Heat outscored the Celtics 18-10 in the first 6:39 of the third frame, tying the game on an Adebayo transition dunk after a Marcus Smart turnover.

It didn't help that by the 8:11 mark, Miami's aggressive approach got them in the bonus, meaning free throws for every Boston foul. Capitalizing on that, Lowry produced and cashed in on two free throws that extended the Heat's run to 9-0, giving them a 71-69 advantage. That was their first lead since midway through the first quarter.

That burst was a part of a four-minute stretch where Miami outscored its guests 19-6. It took until Adebayo tied the game at 69 on a dunk off a dish from Lowry for Joe Mazzulla to signal for a timeout. 

Asking his team to play through adversity, especially on the road against one of its chief competitors, should benefit the Celtics in the long run. But in this game, Boston would've been better off if Mazzulla had done so sooner.

With 5:12 remaining, Adebayo got whistled for an illegal screen, his fourth foul, forcing him to the bench. Upset with the call, ruled correctly in this author's opinion, he earned himself a technical for voicing his frustration.

Including the free throw for the technical, Tatum then went on a 6-0 run, including drilling a three from 27 feet on the left wing, Boston's first make from beyond the arc in the quarter. He also had a gorgeous take to the cup, spinning by Caleb Martin en route to two points.

Miami unsuccessfully tried attacking Sam Hauser on three-straight possessions, including a Herro turnover on a bad pass after he couldn't drive by Hauser.

Those stops helped the Celtics close the quarter on a 10-2 run, including a pair of corner threes by Williams, with the second one coming courtesy of an unselfish play by Tatum, making the extra pass. 

That burst helped give the visitors an 89-77 lead entering the final frame. Again, Adebayo's exit swung momentum, with Boston outscoring the Heat 20-6 after he left the game.

Celtics Fend Off the Heat in Final Frame

Pushing the pace off a Gabe Vincent missed layup, Brown took on and went by multiple Miami defenders for a layup to give the Celtics it's largest lead of the night, 98-84.

After that, he swished a contested mid-range fadeaway over Adebayo. With that basket, Brown extended his game high to 28 points.

But the Heat responded with a 9-0 run, taking advantage of several Boston turnovers, including a pair of offensive fouls from Brown that forced him to the bench with five personals. That burst had the hosts down 100-95 with 4:12 remaining.

With 47.2 seconds left, Tatum drove to the basket, generating two free throws on a failed attempt at drawing a charge from Herro. Tatum hit the back of his head on Gabe Vincent's knee after he landed.

As painful as it looked, it didn't stand in the way of him knocking down both free throws to give Boston a 108-99 lead as "let's go, Celtics!" chants broke out.

A Horford three from the right corner was the icing on the cake as Boston improved to 2-0 with a 111-104 win.

Up Next

The Celtics take on the Magic in Orlando Saturday. The game tips off at 7:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

[Film Room] Malcolm Brogdon's Fitting in Seamlessly with Celtics, but What's More Exciting is on the Horizon

After Opening Night Win, Celtics Express Their Belief in Joe Mazzulla and His Collaborative Approach

The Top 5 Plays from Celtics-Sixers Opening Night Matchup

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics Opening Night Win vs. Sixers

Grant Williams on Not Getting a Contract Extension from Celtics: 'it doesn't mean that a deal won't get done in the future'

Robert Williams Undergoes PRP Injection That May Delay His Season Debut

Celtics and Grant Williams Unlikely to Agree to Contract Extension Before Regular Season, But Neither Side at Fault

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

Home/Top Stories