We thought Boston started badly in this Game 2, with 10 points behind in the first minutes, it was without counting on the enormous reaction of the men ofIme Udokawho went 17-0 (including 5 3-pointers on 6 possessions) to the Heat late in the first quarter to finally win 127-102 and tie to one everywhere in these Eastern Conference finals!
Jayson Tatum scored 27 points (8/13, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) including 17 in the 2nd quarter and Marcus Smart (one rebound from the triple-double with 12 assists and 9 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown 24 (9/17, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) each while Grant Williams added 19 points and Payton Prichard et Al Horford 10 points both. Boston (20/40 at 3-points including 9/11 in the 1st quarter against 10/34 for the Heat) won all its games (4-0) after a defeat in these playoffs.
After 10 points behind at the start of the game, the team went 60-21 to the Heat over the next 18 minutes, returning to the locker room in the lead 70-45. Never had the Celtics led by so many points at the break of an away playoff game: the previous record was 22 points, in Chicago in 2009. Led by 29 points (11/18, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) of Jimmy ButlerMiami lost for the first time in the playoffs at home (7-1). Gabe Vincent et Victor Oladipo scored 14 points each, and Tyler Herro 11 points off the bench.
Butler scored 16 points in the 3rd quarter to bring his team down to 17 points as best as possible, then Boston responded with a 12-2 to return to +27 then +25 (96-71) at the end of the 3rd). The gap rose to 34 points in the last quarter, during which the holders of Miami (Kyle Lowry, hit in the ischio, missed his 8th game in 10 games) did not play. P.J. Tuckerauthor of the first 5 points for the Heat, came out on a bruised left knee in the 3rd quarter.
