Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Celtics blasted the Heat, going up 3-1 in the series
Following the ransacking at the hands of the Celtics on Saturday, the short-handed Heat came out on the game’s first play in a helpless zone. Jrue Holiday drew a foul cutting through its heart in 16 seconds, icing two freebies and setting the tone of the evening.
The Heat were absent Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck).
Lionel Messi and his entourage were present, witnessing the destruction from a box suite.
Early, the Celtics’ defense was in third gear, and Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo briefly kept their team from getting wasted. The former swished a pull-up tray in Kristaps Porziņģis’s face, drove left into the paint twice for layups and slashed through the center, making an eight-foot floater. And the latter hit two jumpers in the lane and finished a lob over Al Horford’s head.
Yet, Boston’s Derrick White fractured the hosts’ defenses and their spirit. He scored 13 points, making 83.3% of his attempts. The rest of the Celtics converted four of 15 baskets.
Then, the Heat’s offense came undone in the second quarter. Jaime Jaquez Jr. couldn’t score on Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown at close range and missed two looks in the corner. Herro got his layup denied by White, bricked a 3-pointer against in drop coverage and took an unwise, off-balance baseline jumper with Horford covering well. And the rest of the crew, minus Adebayo, registered two of nine ventures to close the half.
On the other side, the Heat’s defense contested shots on time and permitted 35% of attempts to fall. But White got loose, splashing two wing triples, and Holiday dribbled from the top to the cup, making two buckets.
But before the second quarter ended, Porziņģis hurt his right calf, attempting a dribble move on the wing with four minutes left. He walked to the locker room, frustratedly wiping his face with his jersey.
At intermission, the Heat was down 36-53 and behind on the glass by five. Additionally, the hosts had 26 paint points, six on the break, two via second chances, three off turnovers and three from the bench.
The Celtics had 16 interior points, 10 in the open court, five on extra tries, nine off turnovers and two from the reserves.
Porziņģis didn’t return for the second half.
Subsequently, the Heat’s offense was inept. It totaled five scoreless minutes between stretches in the third quarter. JJJ and Adebayo were the only Heatles to record multiple field goals.
The Celtics failed to hurt the Heat from deep, but they ravaged the inside protections, recording eight shots in the lane and recovering five offensive rebounds. Midway through, White cut through the middle for two spiteful dunks, and Brown punched in one on the break on consecutive plays.
The fourth quarter began with the Heat down 59-81. The squad tried to claw its way back- Herro, Adebayo and Caleb Martin contributed 25 points on nine of 13 attempts- but the efforts were insufficient.
For Gang Green, Brown reached the rim for a layup off a pick-and-roll set with Horford. Horford canned a pick-and-pop triple at the top, facing Martin. Holiday splashed a corner 3-pointer. Jayson Tatum dunked over Martin. And White beat a trap on the wing, getting inside for an eight-foot finger roll.
The Heat lost 88-102. The team picked up 46 paint points, eight on the break, 10 via second chances, 10 off turnovers and 14 from the bench.
Adebayo scored 25 points on 11 of 22 tries, with 17 rebounds, five assists and three turnovers. Herro had 19 on his ledger, making 47.1% of his shots, with four rebounds, four assists and five turnovers. And Martin had 18 points on six of 14 attempts, with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a turnover.
The Celtics had 40 interior points, 16 in the open court, 12 on extra tries, 20 off turnovers and nine from the reserves.
White (38), Tatum (20), Brown (17) and Holiday (11) were Boston’s double-digit scorers.
At the postgame presser, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he believes his group has more in the tank. He added, “I know in my heart, we have a game that’s there, you know, it’s just a matter of the ball going in a few more times, and all of a sudden, it ignites and it just keeps on going.”
Adebayo said the Celtics have adjusted to the Heat’s defense by “making me switch and putting me in the corner, or putting me away from the play.”
The Celtics are up 3-1 in the series. Game 5 is in Boston on Wednesday.
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The Heat faced a tough challenge against the Celtics, and without key players like Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, their offense struggled to keep up. Derrick White had an outstanding night, leading the Celtics and exploiting the Heat’s defenses scratch geometry dash. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro showed flashes of brilliance, but Miami couldn’t find enough rhythm to close the gap. Despite solid defense and some late efforts in the fourth, Boston’s well-rounded play and dominance inside were too much to overcome. With the series now 3-1 in Boston’s favor, the Heat will need to regroup quickly ahead of Game 5
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