Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Game 5 Between the Celtics and Heat

The top five plays from Game 5 between the Celtics and Heat include Al Horford going one-on-three and coming out with a layup, Boston turning defense into points, and Jaylen Brown burying a three from Coral Gables, then delivering a thunderous one-handed jam.

Bobby Krivitsky

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The top five plays from Game 5 between the Celtics and Heat include a tic-tac-toe sequence of passes producing an Al Horford layup in transition and Horford going one-on-three and coming out with a layup. They also feature Boston turning defense into points, Jaylen Brown burying a three from Coral Gables, and Brown delivering a thunderous one-handed jam, putting an exclamation point on the Celtics' victory.

Celtics' Ball Movement Beats the Heat in Transition

Jayson Tatum grabbed the rebound off a Bam Adebayo missed jump shot, and he gets the ball ahead to Jaylen Brown, sparking a tic-tac-toe sequence of passes as it goes from Brown to Derrick White, who lobs the alley-oop to Al Horford for two points off the glass.

The Numbers Weren't in His Favor, But Al Horford Scores Anyways

Horford corrals the long rebound after a Max Strus missed three, then goes one-on-three in transition. P.J. Tucker can't catch him, Horford crosses over and gets by Kyle Lowry, and with Strus swiping to no avail, the veteran big man gets the layup plus tax. Horford then tacked on the free throw to make this an old-fashion three-point play.

Robert Williams with the Block, Jayson Tatum with the Bucket

First, Grant Williams' playing off Adebayo signals to the latter not to pitch the ball back to Victor Oladipo. He faces up awkwardly, causing him to take two false steps before trying to get to the basket. But Williams chests him, preventing that from happening, Robert Williams is there, serving as a rim deterrent, and Adebayo kicks the ball out to Gabe Vincent.

Vincent swings it to Oladipo in the near-side corner, and he attacks the Timelord off the dribble, only to get his shot rejected at the rim. White retrieves the loose ball and pushes the pace. It's three-on-three in transition. White get's it to Tatum, and the latter spins on Strus, creates separation with his right shoulder, then gets the ball back to his right hand for a layup.

Jaylen Brown Buries a Three from Coral Gables

Knowing the Heat will double team Tatum, White slips the screen, heading to the foul line, which draws Jimmy Butler towards him, thinking he might get a steal. Instead, Tatum passes over Tucker, skipping the ball to Brown on the opposite wing, and with the shot clock ticking down, he drills a three from 29 feet as Butler flies out to contest.

Jaylen Brown Puts the Exclamation Point on the Celtics' Win

Brown builds momentum as he gets downhill, comes off a screen from Horford that Duncan Robinson misplays. Robinson tries coming from inside to get to Brown, but the latter blows by him, and Robinson gets in Butler's path, taking him out of the equation. As Brown explodes to the rim, Adebayo gets out of the way, and Brown delivers a thunderous one-handed jam.

Further Reading

At Halftime of Game 5, Celtics Asked, 'How Much Does It Mean to Us?' Then Seized Control of the Game and Series

What Stood Out from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics Blow By Heat in Second Half to Take 3-2 Lead

Jayson Tatum Points to Winning, Growth as a Playmaker for All-NBA First Team Selection

Celtics Know Winning Game 5 Starts with Staying Urgent: 'We shouldn't have to get punched in the mouth to respond'

What Stood Out from Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals: In a Must-Win Game, Celtics Deliver

Celtics Discuss Not Matching Heat's Urgency, Physicality in Game 3: 'If we want to win this series, we have to match that physicality'

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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.

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