2023-05-20 11:57:28
Miami Heat defeated by 111-105 the Boston Celtics this Friday in the second game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and went 2-0 in the series. Tremendous start for Miami that, it must be remembered, reached the Playoffs after playing the Play-In and, as the pressure intensified, they increased their level. To highlight the Erik Spoelstra team…
And all, of course, with another great night from the Miami figure, Jimmy Butler, who had 27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and three steals and who responded on the field to the provocations of Grant Williams, a Celtics forward who faced in the fourth quarter, when Boston led by nine points. And so, Erik Spoelstra’s team, which cannot count on a piece of great value like Tyler Herro, once again revealed the limits of the Celtics, unable to manage their advantages in these Playoffs.
After wasting thirteen points of advantage in the first period, they were unable to defend their twelve margin this Friday and fell into another bittersweet night by Jayson Tatum, who finished with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, but only scored from the line free in the fourth period. His team failed to support him enough, with Jaylen Brown second best with 16 points. Above, the numbers speak clearly: a franchise that led 2-0 in a playoff series, advanced 312 of 339 times in NBA history.
With confidence soaring after Wednesday’s victory, The Heat had a brilliant start to the game and, fueled by Butler and the power of Bam Adebayo in the paint, they took an eight-point lead, 22-14. They moved the ball with quality and stood out for their defensive effectiveness to contain the Celtics. At that moment of trouble, Tatum’s character reaction was important, who took the reins of the party and he signed twelve of his team’s 25 points to guide, with two triples, an 11-2 run that gave the Celtics an advantage after the first quarter (25-24).
It was the spark that got TD Garden into the game and it turned into a fire early in the second period. In 74 seconds, two triples by Derrick White and Malcom Brogdon, plus a layup by Tatum extended the tremendous run to 19-2 and forced Spoelstra to call a timeout (33-24). The quarter made it 24-4 for the Celtics, who were twelve points up (40-28) and confirmed the offensive power of Joe Mazzulla’s men. However, The fragility of the team when it comes to managing the moments of the duels was also confirmed and Miami responded with a 19-2 lead, led by an excellent Caleb Martin (8 points) who gave the visitors a three-point lead.
Butler put together some big defensive plays (one shot and two steals) and closed the period with a wonderful jump shot that sent the Heat leading 54-50 to the locker room. Tatum barely scored two points in the second quarter, but he left the locker room determined to leave his mark in the game and did so with a third period of fifteen points, ten of them consecutive to give the Celtics a 67-62 lead. A great Caleb Martin sustained the Heat, but a new 10-0 run for Boston, culminating in a triple by Smart and two free throws by Brogdon, allowed Mazzulla’s men to take command of the game with an 83-75 margin going into the fourth period.
Tatum showed off his repertoire, with triples with a step back, tackles and also his valuable contribution in the paint with six rebounds to seal his double double (29 points and 13 rebounds in three quarters). A great start by Robert Williams increased the Celtics’ lead to twelve points (89-77), but two consecutive 3-pointers by Duncan Robinson kept the Heat (91-87) alive, even with Butler regaining his strength on the bench.
The ‘Butler’ moment of the match
He followed that script, with the Heat regaining a nine-point margin (96-87) and Miami, which responded with a 9-2 (98-96), after sparks flew between Grant Williams and Butler. The Heat leader took its toll on the Celtics and Spoelstra’s men sealed an 18-4 run after that brush, which gave them a five-point lead at 105-100. Tatum, who hadn’t taken shots in the fourth quarter of Game 1, nearly repeated that story. He only did it from the free kick line and at the last minute, when the Heat defended their margin to seal another magnificent comeback and take their second victory, 111-105.
For example, in addition to Butler’s 27 points, Adebayo accompanied with 22 points, 17 rebounds and 9 assists, and Martin, with another 25 points. The Heat have two victories left to fly to what would be their second Finals of the NBA in three years, after those of 2020 lost against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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