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High Scoring Celtics Win at Miami

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s high-scoring forward tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum ran up the score as Brown tossed in a game-high 43 points and Tatum had an impressive triple-double of 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists as the visiting Celtics beat the Miami Heat 147-129 on Wednesday night.

It marked the seventh time Brown has scored at least 40 points this season. Sam Hauser made 5 of 7 3-point attempts and added 23 points for Boston (51-25), which made 21 of 44 3-point attempts (47.7%) and shot 58.3% from the floor.

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Bam Adebayo led Miami (40-37) with 29 points and 10 rebounds. The Heat, who shot 46.3% from the floor and 51.1% from 3-point range, received 21 points from Davion Mitchell, who made 5-of-10 shots from beyond the arc.

Miami has lost eight of its last 10 and given up at least 121 points in each of the eight losses.

Norman Powell, Miami’s leading scorer (22.1 ppg), missed his third straight  game with an upper respiratory illness.

The game remained tight in the first until Boston used a 13-0 run to take a 42-30 lead with 2:10 left in the quarter. The Celtics shot 20 of 28 from the field (71.4%) in the first 12 minutes and led 53-33 entering the second.

Hauser made each of his five 3-point attempts in the opening quarter, when Boston shot 11 of 15 from 3-point territory. Boston’s 53 points set a franchise record for most points scored in a first quarter.

The Celtics, who have won eight of their last 10, extended their lead to 25 in the second and had an 80-57 halftime lead. Brown led all scorers in the first half with 24 points. Tatum had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

An 8-0 Miami run cut Boston’s lead to 95-77 with 6:56 remaining in the third, but Boston eclipsed the 100-point mark when a Brown jumper put the Celtics up 101-77 with 4:55 left in the quarter. The Heat scored the final 12 points in the third, which left Boston with a 112-102 advantage entering the fourth.

Miami cut its deficit to 114-105 early in the fourth, but Boston scored the next seven points to take a 16-point lead.

–Field Level Media

BAM! – Adebayo Scores 83

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MIAMI – Miami’s Bam Adebayo produced the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history, putting up 83 points as his Heat beat the Washington Wizards 150-129 on Tuesday night. The 28-year-old center scored 31 points in the first quarter en route to passing Kobe Bryant (81 points in 2006) for second place on the single-game list. Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point outing has stood as the record since 1962.

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“Man, I wish I could relive it twice,” Adebayo said on the postgame broadcast. “I credit my family, my teammates, this crowd. … And they kept feeding me the ball. … I couldn’t do it (without my teammates). I appreciate coach (Erik Spoelstra) for drawing up plays for me, and I got it going tonight.

“To be able to do it at home makes it even more sweeter.”

Adebayo set Heat records for the highest-scoring game and the highest-scoring quarter. The old club mark for a game was 61 points, set in 2014 by LeBron James. Adebayo’s previous career best was 41 on Jan. 23, 2021, against the Brooklyn Nets.

In 42 minutes on Tuesday, Adebayo shot 20-for-43 from the floor, 7-for-22 from 3-point range and 36-for-43 at the free-throw line. He also grabbed nine rebounds.

Spoelstra said, “Once he got to 50, then we’re thinking, ‘All right, maybe he can get to 60.’ And when he got to 60, it just kept on going. We might as well go for 70 and then I didn’t dare even think about taking him out at that point. It just kept on going.

“I wanted him to have a moment. I didn’t know when that would be. It just kept on going. Otherwise I was going to foul him and allow the crowd to really enjoy the moment with him and allow him to enjoy this historic night in front of all the home fans. … I didn’t stop until once he got Kobe’s.”

Abebayo set NBA single-game records for most free throws made and most free-throw attempts. Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley were the prior record-holders for made foul shots with 28 each. Dwight Howard had the old mark for free-throw attempts of 39, which he reached twice.

The Heat earned their sixth straight win, matching their longest streak of the season. They improved to 22-11 at home.

Adebayo’s heroics were needed because Miami was without three of its top four scorers due to injuries: Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Norman Powell (groin) and Andrew Wiggins (toe). The Heat also were without Kel’el Ware (shoulder) and Nikola Jovic (back).

Washington has lost nine straight games, five short of its longest skid of the season. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 28 points.

Wizards star Trae Young sat out due to injury management pertaining to his right knee.

Adebayo, in his blistering-hot first quarter, shot 10-for-16 on field-goal attempts, 5-for-8 on 3-point tries and 6-of-7 on free-throw attempts.

Miami, which led 40-29 after the first quarter, stretched its advantage to 19 points in the second. However, the Wizards closed relatively well, going into halftime trailing 76-62.

Adebayo had 43 points in the first half, another Heat record. His first half came on 13-of-24 shooting overall, 5-of-11 success from beyond the arc and 12-of-14 accuracy at the free-throw line.

His shooting overshadowed Sarr, who had 23 points at halftime.

Adebayo scored 19 points in the third, giving Miami a 113-97 lead by the end of the quarter. He dunked with 22.2 seconds left in the third, giving him 62 points and breaking James’ record.

In the fourth quarter, with the victory assured, Miami kept Adebayo in the game, passing the ball to him on every possession as he hunted for records. His last two points came from the foul line with 1:16 to go as he surpassed Bryant.

“It’s Wilt, me, then Kobe, which sounds crazy,” Adebayo said.

Spoelstra added, “This was an absolutely surreal night.”

–Field Level Media

Celtics, Tatum Defeat the Heat

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 28 points, leading the visiting Boston Celtics to a 103-91 win over the slumping Miami Heat on Friday night. Boston (48-19) also got 25 points from Jrue Holiday, who made 10 of 15 shots, including shooting 5-of-8 on 3-pointers.

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Derrick White was key for the Celtics as he scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. Through three quarters, he was 0-for-6 on 3-pointers. But he made 3-of-5 from deep in the fourth quarter.

The Heat (29-37), who are 9-25 versus teams with a record of .500 or more, have lost a season-high six straight games. A 10-2 run early in the fourth quarter keyed by a White trey gave the Celtics breathing room and they cruised from there.

Boston, which is 16-4 over its past 20 games, made 19 3-pointers to just 13 for Miami.

Andrew Wiggins led Miami with 23 points, and the Heat got 19 points and a game-high six assists from Tyler Herro.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, sat out the game due to a right-knee injury. Boston replaced the 6-6 Brown with 7-1 Luke Kornet in the starting lineup.

Miami switched up its starting lineup, too, but not due to injury. The Heat started Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Duncan Robinson in place of Kel’el Ware and Davion Mitchell … but to no avail.

To open the game, Boston made its first five shots to take a 14-6 lead. The first four of those shots were 3-pointers.

Miami, though, hung in there, trailing just 30-23 by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Heat tied the score 37-37 on a 3-pointer by Mitchell. After a Celtics miss, Miami took its first lead of the game, 39-37, on a Pelle Larsson cutting dunk with 5:34 left in the half.

Miami held Boston to 25.0 percent shooting in the second quarter as the teams went into halftime tied, 50-50. Miami shot 61.1 percent in the second quarter, including a 12-4 edge in paint points.

Holiday led all first-half scorers with 16 points. Wiggins had 14 points for Miami.

Miami led by as many as five points in the third, but the Celtics recovered to take a 78-77 lead into the fourth.

Boston then started the fourth with its 10-2 run, and Miami never got back on top.

–Field Level Media

HEAT Play Way Into NBA Playoffs

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami’s Tyler Herro tallied a near triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and the host Heat punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Playoffs with a convincing 112-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in the one-sided win in the final Eastern Conference play-in game.

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The Heat will face the top-seeded Boston Celtics on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs. Miami and Boston met in the two last East finals, with Boston prevailing in 2022 and the Heat winning last season.

Miami dominated Friday’s contest even with star Jimmy Butler sidelined with a ligament injury to his right knee. Butler was injured in Wednesday’s play-in loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Reserve bigman Kevin Love contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, and Bam Adebayo scored 13 points for the Heat.

DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic had 16 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for the Bulls. Coby White had just 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting after scoring 42 points against the Atlanta Hawks two nights earlier.

Javonte Green added 12 points off the bench, and Ayo Dosunmu had 10 on 3-of-15 shooting for Chicago.

Miami also defeated the Bulls last season in the battle for the final spot in the East. The Heat eventually lost to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

Miami shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 14 of 33 from 3-point range.

The Bulls made 38 percent of their attempts and were 13 of 43 from behind the arc.

Chicago trailed 70-60 after a basket by Green with 3:15 left in the third quarter, and then Miami delivered the knockout punch.

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NBA Finals: Heat’s Spoelstra Focused on Return to Miami

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn’t hanging his head after seeing his team lose both of its home games in the NBA Finals. Although the Heat are facing elimination as they head to Denver to play Game 5 this Monday, Spoelstra remained confident that his charges would extend the series to Game 6 back in Miami.

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“All we’re focused on — I told the guys, feel whatever you want to feel tonight. It’s fine. You probably shouldn’t sleep tonight any amount of time. I don’t think anybody will,” Spoelstra said following the Heat’s 108-95 setback on Friday.

“We have an incredibly competitive group. We’ve done everything the hard way, and that’s the way it’s going to have to be done right now, again. All we are going to focus on is getting this thing back to the 305. Get this thing back to Miami. And things can shift very quickly.”

The Heat know that all too well, especially since they saw their 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference final go by the boards. They righted the ship by winning Game 7, however.

“You take it one game at a time,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said. “We’ve seen a team come back from 3-0 firsthand. So we just have to believe, and one game at a time.”

Jimmy Butler had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Adebayo amassed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat. Kyle Lowry scored 13 points while Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson added 12 apiece for Miami.

The Heat are still holding out hope that they can become the second team to recover from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals.

“It’s the same thing that it’s always been — it’s a game at a time,” Butler said. “Now we’re in a must-win situation every game, which we’re capable of. We’ve got to correct some things, but it’s not impossible. We got three to get.”

–Field Level Media

NBA Finals: Heat Love to Compete

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Miami Heat benefited from a late finishing kick against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday to send the NBA Finals back to South Florida all square at one victory apiece.

Miami erased an eight-point deficit entering the fourth quarter and overcame a 41-point, 11-rebound performance from Nikola Jokic to record a 111-108 victory in Game 2 in Denver.

Miami’s Gabe Vincent made 8 of 12 shot attempts from the floor — including 4 of 6 from 3-point range — as the Heat outscored the Nuggets by a 36-25 margin in the fourth quarter.

Vincent was asked on NBA TV’s postgame show if his teammates are upset about a perceived lack of respect in the series against Denver.

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

“I speak for my whole team when I say we don’t give a damn. We just want to get four wins,” Vincent said.

Bam Adebayo collected 21 points and nine rebounds and Jimmy Butler added 21 points and nine assists for Miami, which hosts Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday.

“Our guys love to compete. They love to put themselves out there in those moments of truth,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.

Denver’s Jamal Murray added 18 points and 10 assists, however, he saw his 3-point attempt with 1.9 seconds remaining hit the iron.

Aaron Gordon scored 12 points and Bruce Brown added 11 off the bench for the Nuggets, who fell to 9-1 at home in the playoffs.

“We didn’t want it to happen of course, but it happened, so we have to live with it,” Jokic said. “We’re going to Miami to play another game.”

While Jokic is looking ahead, Denver coach Michael Malone took issue with what he’s seen in the first two games of this series.

“Let’s talk about effort. I mean, this is the NBA Finals and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine,” Malone said. “… This is not the preseason or the regular season. This is the NBA Finals. And that to me is really, really perplexing, disappointing.”

Denver held an 83-75 lead through three quarters before Miami erupted for a 32-12 run over the first eight-plus minutes of the fourth. Duncan Robinson made a pair of treys and two layups and Butler converted a three-point play and 3-pointer to highlight the surge.

“Our defense has to be a helluva lot better,” Malone said. “That’s two games now where our fourth-quarter defense has been nonexistent.”

Denver led 57-51 at the halftime break.

–Field Level Media

Heat Look to Attack, Tie Up Nuggets

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Miami Heat find themselves in unfamiliar territory after a series opener in the playoffs, while the Denver Nuggets are all too comfortable with where they stand.

The Heat aim to level the NBA Finals against the Nuggets on Sunday when the teams reconvene in Denver for Game 2.

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Miami entered the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, thereby starting each series on the road. The Heat, however, set the tone for each previous series by recording a 13-point win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and seven-point victories in each of the next two series openers.

Miami has lost four of its last five games overall and is facing a deficit for the first time in these playoffs. That’s foreign territory for the Heat, although now a reality after they dropped a 104-93 decision on Thursday in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

“That was one of my last messages to the group before our game,” Denver coach Michael Malone said after his team improved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs.

“I reminded our group, if they didn’t know, that Miami went into Milwaukee (in the first round) and won Game 1. They went into the Garden in New York City (in the second round) and won Game 1. They won Game 1 up in Boston (in the Eastern Conference finals). So, we did not want them coming in here taking control of the series on our court.”

Credit Nikola Jokic for making certain that didn’t happen. Jokic recorded his ninth triple-double of the playoffs — and sixth in his last seven games — after collecting 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in Game 1.

“The most important thing is to win a game,” Jokic said. “I’m trying to win a game in any possible way.”

Jamal Murray added 26 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who shot a blistering 50.6 percent from the floor (40 of 79). Denver also made 16 of its 20 free-throw attempts, which was significantly better than Miami’s all-too-brief performance at the line.

The Heat went to the charity stripe on just two occasions to set an NBA postseason record for fewest free throw attempts in a game.

“Things have to be done with a lot more intention and a lot more pace, a lot more detail,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We are an aggressive, attacking team, and so if we are not getting those kind of opportunities at the rim or at the free throw line, we have to find different ways to be able to do it.”

Bam Adebayo collected 26 points, 13 rebounds and five assists and Jimmy Butler had 13, seven and seven, respectively. Neither player ventured to the foul line, however.

“You’ve got to attack and attack everybody, not just one individual,” Butler said. “I have to do a better job of creating the help, one, two guys, and getting to my shooter, otherwise finishing at the rim, making shots.

“But we missed a lot (Thursday), and we’ll be better in Game 2. At the end of the day, that’s what it is, and we’ll take this and we’ll learn from it.”

–Field Level Media

One Fifty One and Zero

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BOSTON (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Miami Heat sustained a gut-wrenching, last-second loss on their third attempt to clinch the Eastern Conference finals, tilting momentum strongly in favor of the Boston Celtics.

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However, the Heat, who had to take the play-in route to even reach the playoffs and then upset the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks to fuel their postseason run, found another gear in their seemingly never-ending fountain of resiliency.

Series MVP Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, Caleb Martin added 26 and the Heat became the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals by posting a convincing 103-84 victory over the host Celtics in Game 7 Monday night.

Miami was wobbling after a 104-103 setback on Saturday that featured Boston’s Derrick White scoring on a putback just as time expired, evening the best-of-seven series.

Yet even the raucous homecourt atmosphere in Boston couldn’t prevent the Heat from reaching the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.

“That could puncture a team’s spirit,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Game 6 loss. “But instead, it drove us to more resolve to try to get the job done.”

Bam Adebayo recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Miami finished the job. Teams that held a 3-0 series lead improved to 151-0 all-time in the NBA playoffs.

Jaylen Brown had 19 points and eight rebounds and White scored 18 points for second-seeded Boston, which was just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games.

Jayson Tatum had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, but he sprained his left ankle during the game’s first possession and hobbled throughout the contest.

“That was tough because it kind of impacted me the rest of the night,” Tatum said. “It swelled up. It was frustrating that I was a shell of myself. It was tough to move. It was frustrating, especially happening on the first play.”

The Heat will face the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in Denver.

“Nobody’s satisfied. We haven’t done anything,” said Butler, who averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.6 steals in the series. “We don’t play just to win the Eastern Conference. We play to win the whole thing.”

The New York Knicks (1999 postseason) were the only other No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled throughout the do-or-die game.

“I thought we played tight,” Boston guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “When you play that way, it makes you hesitant on both ends of the ball. I thought Miami played the opposite. I thought they played loose.”

The other three teams to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0 were the New York Knicks (lost to the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals), Denver Nuggets (fell to the Utah Jazz in the 1994 second round) and Portland Trail Blazers (lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 first round).

Miami shot 48.8 percent from the field, including 14 of 28 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent added 10 points apiece. Martin made four treys and collected 10 rebounds and Butler also had seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Celtics connected on 39 percent of their shots and were 9 of 42 (21.4 percent) from behind the arc. Boston went 16 of 77 (20.8 percent) from 3-point range over the final two games of the series.

Brown shot just 8-for-23 from the floor, 1-for-9 from long distance and committed eight turnovers on Monday.

“We failed. I failed,” Brown said. “We let the whole city down.”

Boston trailed 52-41 at halftime, and White kept the Celtics in the contest with 13 third-quarter points.

White put up eight straight points as Boston trimmed a 16-point deficit in half with 8:29 remaining in the third. The Celtics were unable to creep closer than seven, and Martin’s short baseline jumper with 1.5 seconds left gave the Heat a 76-66 lead heading into the final quarter.

Miami started the fourth quarter strong with a 3-pointer from Martin and back-to-back baskets by Butler to push the lead to 17. Later, four straight points by Adebayo increased the advantage to 21 with 6:55 remaining. Miami’s advantage topped out at 23 points.

“We talked about going to get a tough one on the road and we did just that,” Butler said. “But we’re not satisfied. We got four more (wins) to get.”

Boston missed its first 12 3-point attempts as Miami controlled the first half, leading by as many as 17 points.

–Field Level Media

CELTICS FORCE GAME SEVEN

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Derrick White scored on a tip-in just before the buzzer sounded and the visiting Celtics forced a Game 7 with a solid 104-103 victory over the host Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.

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After Miami’s Jimmy Butler made three free throws with 3.0 seconds left to give the Heat the lead, Boston’s Marcus Smart had his 3-point attempt go in and out. White moved into position and got the rebound and quickly banked the ball in for a dramatic victory for the Celtics.

Second-seeded Boston has won the past three games to become just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games of a playoff series. Game 7 is Monday night in Boston.

No. 8 seed Miami had taken the one-point lead with a 15-4 burst after trailing by 10 with under five minutes remaining. Butler scored 13 of the Heat’s points during the rally.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, with 12 rebounds and five assists and Jaylen Brown added 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. Smart scored 21 points, White had 11 and Robert Williams III added 10.

Butler was just 5-of-21 shooting while finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He had 15 points in the fourth quarter. Caleb Martin recorded 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat.

The Celtics are 5-0 in elimination games this postseason. They barely looked interested in continuing the series while being whipped 128-102 in Game 3 before staging the impressive recovery.

Miami’s Gabe Vincent had 15 points, Duncan Robinson added 13, Bam Adebayo contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds and Max Strus had 10 points.

Smart split two free throws with 16.9 seconds remaining to give Boston a two-point lead. Butler was looking for the last shot and was fouled by Al Horford with three seconds left. The call was reviewed, and Butler was ruled to be behind the 3-point line and was granted three free throws and he made them all.

White drained a 3-pointer and Smart converted a three-point play to give Boston a 10 point – 98-88 advantage – with 4:56 remaining in the game.

The Celtics shot 43.6 percent from the field and were a shaky 7 of 35 from 3-point range.

Miami shot just 35.5 percent, but made 14 of 30 shot attempts from behind the arc.

CELTICS BEAT HEAT; WHITE OUT-STANDING WITH MIRACLE PUT-BACK

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics were three seconds away from being eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals when Celtics guard Derrick White inbounded the ball to Marcus Smart.

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Instead of being a spectator, White darted toward the left corner and with no Miami Heat players around him, headed toward the basket as Smart’s shot went in and out. His instincts put him in perfect position to score on a tip-in just before the buzzer sounded as Boston scored an unlikely 104-103 victory.

“It doesn’t do no good to stand in the corner there whether he makes it or not,” White said. “So I was just crashing the glass and it came right to me.”

White’s dramatic basket gave second-seeded Boston its third straight victory to become just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games of a playoff series.

The victory came after Boston blew a 10-point lead with under five minutes remaining. But White’s heroics earned the Celtics a home game against the Heat on Monday as the club improved to 5-0 in elimination games this postseason.

“I’m just happy we won,” White said. “Whatever it takes. Our backs are against the wall. I’m just happy we won.”

The decisive hoop came after Jimmy Butler made three throws with 3.0 seconds left to give the Heat a one-point edge.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, with 12 rebounds and five assists and teammate Jaylen Brown added 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics. Smart scored 21 points, White had 11 and Robert Williams III added 10.

Butler experienced a horrendous 5-of-21 shooting night but scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Butler scored 13 of his points during the 15-4 burst that put Miami in the lead. Butler was looking for the last shot and was fouled by Al Horford with three seconds left. The call was reviewed, and Butler was ruled to be behind the 3-point line and was granted three free throws and he made them all.

Then White made the winning basket and the celebration that Heat fans were expecting never happened.

“That’s the only place it could have bounced,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of the outcome. “I thought we had a lot of things covered on that play. But sometimes things don’t break your way. I don’t think there are any regrets on that. This is the way this season has been. This is one hell of a series.”

Butler knew where to place the blame.

“Everything that happened tonight — if I don’t go 5-for-21 and turn the ball over (twice), it’s a different story,” Butler said. “I’d have a different hat on up here and we’d be going to the (NBA) Finals.”

Butler also had 11 rebounds and eight assists. Caleb Martin recorded 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat.

Miami’s Gabe Vincent had 15 points, Duncan Robinson added 13, Bam Adebayo contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds and Max Strus had 10 points.

Boston barely looked interested in continuing the series while being whipped 128-102 in Game 3 before staging the impressive recovery.

White drained a 3-pointer and Smart converted a three-point play to give Boston a 98-88 advantage with 4:56 remaining before Miami staged the comeback.

White then became a “flash of lightning,” as Brown put it, to provide an electrical finish.

“That was incredible,” Tatum said. “… That felt like the longest 10 seconds ever waiting for confirmation if he made it or not. I’m still like in disbelief.”

Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon (right forearm strain) sat out the contest.

The Celtics shot 43.6 percent from the field and were a shaky 7 of 35 from 3-point range.

Miami shot just 35.5 percent, but made 14 of 30 shot attempts from behind the arc.

Tatum scored 16 of his 25 first-half points in the second quarter to help the Celtics hold a 57-53 halftime lead. Boston led 79-72 entering the fourth.

–Field Level Media