The intensity of Game 3 reached its peak in the final quarter, reminiscent of the final stages of Game 1, as the Celtics and Heat found themselves in familiar territory. Boston Celtics jumped out to a lead of nearly 30 points, causing the Heat’s Caleb Martin to exchange words with Boston Celtics players after scoring only three points. Meanwhile, the Heat, already depleted, struggled from beyond the arc and shot a disappointing 32.1% on 28 attempts. Boston’s dominance on the offensive boards, coupled with their blistering 62% shooting inside the arc, forced the short-handed Heat to respond, forcing them to rely on their deepest reserves.
Boston Celtics 107 – 84 Miami Heat
Earlier, Al Horford made a full court pass to Derrick White from baseline to baseline, bypassing all of the Heat’s defenders. Boston played with urgency. Miami, late, looked desperate, losing 104–84 at home. The Boston Celtics lead the series 2–1.
The opening quarter mirrored the offensive struggles of Game 3, with the Browns getting off to a cold start and missing their first four attempts against Tyler Herro’s defense. However, Boston’s defensive efficiency limited Miami to just 12 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including a paltry 1-for-9 from beyond the arc – a result of Miami’s offensive dominance in previous matchups. It was quite the opposite. Despite early trouble and experimental lineup adjustments for Kristaps Porziņš, the Boston Celtics dominated on both ends of the court.
With this, the game ended with a score of 42-27 in the second quarter. Boston increased the number of close passes they made and forced nine turnovers in the first half, which put them in transition. With a minute remaining, Erik Spoelstra was forced to call a timeout after Tatum and Sam Hauser made back-to-back three-pointers to start the frame.
Boston returned to the floor with four players in a press, and Hauser almost stole the ensuing in-bounds from Haywood Highsmith. After leading by 13 points midway through the quarter, Jrue Holiday, who finished the half +26 despite not taking a shot, completed passes to Derrick White. White attempted the first of two put-backs, giving him 12 points in a three-minute span in the frame.
Brown shot 5 of 7 after his slow start, while Porzingis and Peyton Pritchard added three more put-backs for 19 points each after scoring struggles in Game 2.
The Heat responded with a 14–9 run in the third while Boston’s offense slowed again. Brown scored six of those points, while the rest of the Boston Celtics started 1-for-5. Tatum took the last shot of that stretch and fell down, missing a three that allowed Adebayo to streak in transition for an easy dunk. Permission was granted, and ended on 10-. Two runs came in the middle of the frame, increasing Boston’s lead to 19. The Boston Celtics responded 8-4 out of timeouts involving White on each play, finding Brown and Horford inside hitting a layup and jump shot of his own.
The Heat trailed by 26 after three timeouts by Horford and Holiday, while Herro picked up a technical foul on Hauser after being fouled by Hauser. As the quarter ended, Pritchard shared things with Herro and Martin, with Miami turning to Thomas Bryant and Patty Mills and looking for some offense off its bench. Delon Wright did not play due to personal reasons, effectively reducing the Heat lineup to Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, and Duncan Robinson, the latter barely appearing in games. They trailed by 20 points the entire fourth quarter. Tatum and Brown put constant pressure on the Heat inside the arc, scoring 22 points each, while Porzingis scored 18 points from the free-throw line.
Game 4 is Monday at 7:30 p.m. In Miami.
Hello….I’m Tobar Nianglang, holding an MBA in Marketing with a focus on Digital Marketing. I’m also the founder and author behind sportskai.com, a prominent sports news platform.