What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Short-Handed Heat Team: Boston's Starters Continue to Impress

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 49 points, the starters continue to impress, and the Celtics' 122-92 win vs. a short-handed Heat team improves their record to 27-25.

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Simply put, the Celtics handled their business on Monday.

Beating a Miami Heat team that was missing, most notably Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and P.J. Tucker, and took part in a game that went into triple-overtime on Saturday, isn't the type of victory that gets a fan base buzzing. But the game served as the latest example of how well Boston's starters are playing when they share the floor.

Here's an exploration into that subject and much more from a win that improves the Celtics' record to 27-25.

Marcus Smart Continues Streak of Stellar Play Since Returning

It's not a surprise nor a coincidence the Celtics' defense is performing better since Marcus Smart, an All-NBA-caliber defender, returned from a six-game absence caused by a right thigh contusion and spending time in health and safety protocols.

It shouldn't come as a shock the offense has significantly improved, too, since Smart's been an effective floor general all season. However, these last five games, including Monday's win over the Heat, have been his best stretch of the campaign. Smart's done an outstanding job pushing the pace off misses and makes, getting the offense organized, and setting his teammates up in a position to succeed.

Smart finished Monday's victory against Miami with 16 points on 6/9 shooting (66.7 percent), including 4/7 (57.1 percent) from beyond the arc. He also dished out seven assists, had two steals, only one turnover, and earned a plus-minus rating of +25 over 28 minutes.

Smart's averaging 9.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in the five games since his return.

The Heat Spun the Dial Defensively

The Heat opened the game in a 2-3 zone that morphed into man-to-man defense and then back to a 2-3 zone. Eric Spoelstra spun the dial for much of the night, as Miami played a traditional 2-3 zone, a 1-3-1, and a 1-2-2.

That was a sound strategy to try to help a short-handed team, exhausted from a triple-overtime game a couple of nights ago, steal a win on the road. Fortunately for the Celtics, outside of a first-half slip-up where the Heat went on an 18-5 run to tie the game at 32 and erase a 15-point deficit, they fared well against the coverages Spoelstra threw at them.

Excluding the last 5:03 of the game, which is when Ime Udoka went deep into his rotation, Boston scored 108 points on 40/75 (53.3 percent) shooting, including 14/37 (37.8 percent) from beyond the arc, they produced 38 points in the paint, 19 off turnovers, 13 off second-chance opportunities, and assisted on 21 of their 40 made field goals (52.5 percent).

The Forceful Nature That the Celtics Responded with After Miami Tied the Game at 32

Following that 18-5 run by the Heat to tie the game at 32, Ime Udoka called for a timeout and proceeded to make his displeasure with his team's lack of execution abundantly clear.

The Celtics responded with a 7-0 run. From that timeout to the 5:03 mark in the fourth quarter, they outscored the Heat 76-51. They led by 15 points or more for the final 17:40. It's the latest example of how well their starters are playing when they're healthy enough to share the floor. That unit, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Robert Williams, outpaced Miami's starters 85-69.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Combine for 49 Points

Though they didn't match the 68 points they teamed up to hang on the Pelicans on Saturday, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum took full advantage of Miami not having Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker, or Kyle Lowry on Monday.

Brown registered a game-high 29 points on 11/19 shooting (57.9 percent). The 25-year-old elder statesman of Boston's potent wing tandem was cooking from mid-range and had considerable success getting to and scoring in the paint.

Speaking with the media after the game, Al Horford shared that before the Celtics broke the huddle, Jaylen Brown told the team, "he talked to us about making sure that we come out ready to go. That we come out firing, and we're just not going through the motions. And we were able to jump them right away and set the tone for the rest of the game.

"Us developing those habits, consistently coming out with that way, it makes a big difference."

As for Tatum, the other half of Boston's big two went for 20 points on 7/15 shooting (46.7 percent) and knocked down three of his seven shots from beyond the arc (42.9 percent), and he grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out five assists.

Up Next

The Celtics host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The game tips off at 7:30 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

What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pelicans: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Generate 68 Points, Robert Williams Shines in Homecoming, Boston Has Its Floor General

The Latest Intel on Marcus Smart and Al Horford as Trade Deadline Approaches

Celtics Musings: Al Horford's Shot Selection, Rotation Tweaks, Talent vs. Record

Report Links Celtics to Jerami Grant

Should Jaylen Brown be the Celtics' Closer?

Trade Options for a Celtics Team in Need of Shooters

Celtics' Trade Options Part II: Facilitators