With their backs in opposition to the wall in a style they’ve seldom been accustomed to, the Boston Celtics dug deep and located some solutions. In search of to climb out of a self-inflicted gap within the Jap Convention Finals — and develop into the primary crew in NBA historical past to win a sequence after trailing three video games to zero — they gained Recreation 4 over the Miami Warmth, 116-99, behind a formidable second half effort.
Jayson Tatum was the rising tide that raised all ships this night. He scored 34 factors, grabbed 11 boards and dished 7 assists in his 42 minutes, buoying the Celtics with their season on the road as soon as once more. Miami’s undrafted duo of unlikely heroes, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, continued to excel, combining for 33 factors, however Vincent departed the sport with an damage within the fourth quarter, and postseason star Jimmy Butler suffered via an ineffective 9-of-21 taking pictures line on the evening.
The Celtics started the sport by connecting on their first 4 shot makes an attempt, however the sizzling begin shortly obtained mired in acquainted points — turnovers, missed photographs, sloppy protection. After main by six, they gave up a 14-3 Miami run to fall proper again into the muck. The Warmth continued to capitalize on Boston’s errors, as they’ve all sequence, and constructed their lead as excessive as 9 factors. The Celtics trailed by six heading into the second, 29-23.
Late within the first quarter, Miami’s Kyle Lowry appeared to slide whereas scrapping within the paint to contest a shot by Grant Williams. He fell to the ground grabbing at his left knee, which has triggered him points repeatedly throughout his Warmth tenure. After struggling to stroll throughout a video evaluate — through which he was known as for a typical foul regardless of hitting Williams within the face — he remained within the sport.
The second quarter introduced a uncommon burst of momentum for Boston, on each ends of the ground. From the top of the primary via the early minutes of the second, they went on a 17-5 run to reclaim the lead from Miami for at the very least a second. The Warmth countered with scoring binges from their two unlikely heroes this postseason: Vincent and Martin. The duo mixed for 25 first-half factors, and appeared to have all of the counterpunches for the Boston surge. In the end, regardless of the noise, the Celtics ended the second quarter the identical as the primary, trailing by six factors, 56-50.
Early within the third quarter, the sport teetered on the verge of getting out of hand because the Warmth regained a nine-point lead on a second-chance three from Vincent. Tatum, nevertheless, was lastly able to make his presence felt. He related on consecutive three-pointers to reassert the Celtics within the sport, and his spark ignited an 18-5 Boston run to construct the most important Celtic lead of the evening and immediate an Erik Spoelstra timeout with slightly below seven minutes remaining within the quarter. It was — by far — their finest stretch within the sequence up to now. They hung a whopping 38 factors on Miami within the body, and led 88-79 coming into the fourth quarter.
A quick couple minutes of relaxation for Tatum led to solely two made buckets for the Warmth, shortly erased by the Celtics upon Tatum’s reentry to the sport. Issues turned extra difficult for Miami moments later, as Vincent appeared to show his ankle on a clumsy touchdown and suffered an damage. He limped his manner via the following possession — a Tatum three-pointer — and instantly departed for the locker room after a Spoelstra timeout.
The Celtics pushed forward with a 12-4 run throughout the opening minutes of the quarter, constructing a 17-point lead. The Warmth creeped their manner again in over the following minutes, chopping the lead again right down to 13, however in a vital sequence, Adebayo turned the ball over and Brown transformed on the and-one layup on the different finish. That finally served because the dagger, and the Celtics earned themselves one other evening of basketball.
Subsequent up, the Celtics will return dwelling to Boston, the place they’ll proceed to try to make historical past in Recreation 5 in opposition to the Warmth, this Thursday at 8:30 EST on TNT.
