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Miami Heat

Upbeat Celtics Feel at Home

May 24, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – TD Garden has not exactly been the comfy confines but it will have to do for the crucial and pivotol Game 5.

Members of the Boston Celtics were talking about a return trip to South Florida mere moments after the team averted a sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

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While talk is cheap, the conversation will become real if the Celtics fend off elimination for the second consecutive contest on Thursday when they host the Heat in Game 5 at the Boston Garden.

“We want to come back to Miami,” Jaylen Brown said after the second-seeded Celtics avoided the brooms with a 116-99 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. They still trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series to the eighth-seeded Heat.

Jayson Tatum scored 25 of his 33 points in the second half Tuesday, with 14 coming during a third quarter in which Boston outscored Miami by a 38-23 margin. All told, Tatum made 11 of 15 shots from the floor after intermission.

Tatum wasn’t alone, either. The Celtics shot 51.2 percent from the floor (43 of 84) for the game and 40 percent from 3-point range (18 of 45).

“Yeah, everybody was in good spirits, everybody was upbeat, and as cliche as it sounds, we just tried to take it one game at a time,” Tatum said. “We didn’t play well the first three games, we didn’t deserve to win, but we didn’t want that to define us, define the season.

“We’ve still got a long uphill battle to go. But (Tuesday) was a good start. Just to try to carry this momentum toward Thursday.”

TD Garden hasn’t been kind to the home tenants in the postseason, however. The Celtics have lost five of their past seven games in Boston.

That said, the Heat had won all six of their home playoff games before Tuesday’s tumble in Miami.

The Heat were denied in their first opportunity to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. They also were thwarted in their first chance to join the 1998-99 New York Knicks as the lone eighth-seeded teams in the league to advance to the NBA Finals.

Jimmy Butler, who recorded team highs in points (29) and rebounds (nine) on Tuesday, refused to get too down after seeing the team’s initial opportunities go by the boards.

“The only thing I’m going to say is we’ll be OK,” Butler said. “Let’s get back to doing what we’ve always done to get us to this point. Continually have belief in one another, knowing that we are going to win, and we will. We’ve just got to play harder.

“There’s not too much to say with this group because we already know. So we’ve just got to go out there and execute.”

Caleb Martin made his first six shots from the floor on Tuesday and scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” Martin said of the loss. “That would have been a perfect world, perfect situation. But as we know and everybody else knows, we don’t typically get things the easy way over here. So like I said, this is right up our alley. This is the way it goes for us and guys like us. Again, I think it’s only going to prepare us for the long run. This could be good for us.”

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: Boston Sports, Celtics, NBA Tagged With: 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, NBA

Celtics Win Turns Down the Heat

May 23, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum collected 33 points and 11 rebounds as the visiting Celtics staved off elimination with a 116-99 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

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Tatum made 14 of 22 shots from the floor — including 4 of 8 from 3-point range. He also had seven assists for the second-seeded Celtics, who trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading into Thursday’s Game 5 in Boston.

Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown scored 17 points and guard Derrick White added 16 to help the Celtics prevent Miami from becoming the second eighth-seeded team to advance to the NBA Finals. The 1998-99 New York Knicks accomplished the feat during a lockout-shortened season.

Grant Williams scored 14 points off the bench and Al Horford added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who turned the tide by outscoring the Heat 38-23 in the third quarter. Williams had jawed with Heat guard Jimmy Butler in Game 3.

Boston shot 51.2 percent from the floor (43 of 84) for the game and 40.9 percent from 3-point range (18 of 44).

Miami’s Butler overcame a slow start to record 29 points and nine rebounds. Gabe Vincent scored 17 points and Caleb Martin added 16 off the bench for the Heat, who fell to 6-1 at home in the playoffs.

Down by 11 points late in the third quarter, Miami trimmed the deficit to five before Boston countered by scoring 12 straight points to secure a 100-83 lead with 7:25 to play in the fourth. Tatum and Marcus Smart each had five points during that surge.

The Heat moved within 13 with 4:27 to play before Brown converted a three-point play to halt the momentum. The Celtics were not seriously threatened the rest of the way.

Filed Under: Boston Sports, Celtics, NBA Tagged With: 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, NBA

Celtics a Game Away From Elimination

May 22, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox find themselves one game away from NBA playoff elimination and the fans of Boston find themselves one game away from full-time baseball season. The Miami Heat shot the lights out and left the Boston Celtics in the dust on Sunday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

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Gabe Vincent scored a career-high 29 points in Miami’s 128-102 victory over visiting Boston on Sunday.

Vincent made 11 of 14 shots from the floor — including 6 of 9 from 3-point range — and Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin scored 22 and 18 points off the bench, respectively.

Jimmy Butler collected 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Heat, who shot a blistering 56.8 percent from the field (46 of 81) and 54.3 percent from 3-point range (19 of 35). Miami improved to 6-0 at home in the playoffs.

Another performance like that in Game 4 on Tuesday in Miami and the eighth-seeded Heat will advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.

“That was a solid, mature, professional approach,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There is a lot of pent-up stuff here and we’re getting closer, but we still have to finish this off.”

Bam Adebayo scored 13 points and Max Strus added 10 as the Heat seized control of the contest by outscoring the second-seeded Celtics by a 32-17 margin in the third quarter.

“The game was as big as an ocean for everybody,” Adebayo said.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 12 points, although the pair combined to make just 12 of 35 shots from the floor and 1 of 14 from 3-point range.

“Collectively we can point fingers, but in reality, it was just embarrassing,” Brown said.

The Celtics have their backs against the wall. No team in NBA history has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

“I just didn’t have them ready to play,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Whatever it was, whether it was the starting lineup or it was an adjustment, I have to get them in a better place to play — that’s on me.”

Boston whittled a 22-point deficit down to 12 at 61-49 after Marcus Smart converted a three-point play to start the third quarter. Miami answered with a 28-9 run to seize control of the game, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers by Vincent.

The Heat carried a 93-63 lead into the fourth quarter before both teams opted to rest their stars. Vincent sandwiched 3-pointers around a three-point play and Robinson converted from beyond the arc to extend Miami’s advantage to 112-83 with 4:43 to play.

Miami claimed a 61-46 lead at halftime after shooting a sizzling 57.5 percent from the floor (23 of 40) and 45 percent from 3-point range (9 of 20). Martin sank a trio of 3-pointers to highlight his 11-point performance, while Robinson and Vincent each made a pair from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points apiece.

Miami’s Kevin Love scored five quick points to start the game before exiting after five minutes with an ankle injury. He did not return.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: Boston Sports, Celtics, NBA Tagged With: 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat

Miami Takes 2-0 Lead Over Celtics

May 20, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami’s Jimmy Butler scored 27 points, including the tiebreaking basket with 2:33 remaining, and the Heat took control of the Eastern Conference finals with a 111-105 victory over the host Boston Celtics in Game 2 on Friday night.

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Miami won in Boston for the second straight game to grab a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven series. Games 3 and 4 will be played in Miami on today and Tuesday, respectively.

Caleb Martin established a career playoff high with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting off the bench for the eighth-seeded Heat. Miami’s Bam Adebayo contributed 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists and reserve Duncan Robinson chipped in 15 points.

Jayson Tatum had 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for second-seeded Boston but didn’t convert a field goal in the fourth quarter for the second straight game. All five of Tatum’s final-quarter points came on free throws in the final minute.

Jaylen Brown scored 16 points but shot just 7 of 23 from the field for the Celtics. Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III had 13 points apiece.

Filed Under: Boston Sports, Celtics, NBA Tagged With: 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, NBA

Miami Heat, “Playoff Jimmy” Take Game 1 of NBA Eastern Conference Finals

May 18, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami’s “Playoff” Jimmy Butler carried the Heat during the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs. The opening game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals was no different.

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Butler played a solid all-around game, stacking-up 35 points, seven assists, six steals and five rebounds while leading the Heat to a 123-116 upset victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series that will determine the participant of the 2023 NBA Finals.

Butler raised his 2023 postseason average to 31.5 with his fifth 30-point effort in 11 games. He stopped short of saying he is playing better than ever but asserted the Miami coaching staff has set him up for success.

“I’m playing at an incredible level because they are allowing me to do so and not putting a limit on my game,” Butler said. “They are trusting me with the ball and on the defensive end, and I think that’s what any basketball player wants. What anyone wants in life is to be wanted, to be appreciated and just let you go out there and rock.”

Butler and the Heat were doing most of the rocking — particularly during a 46-point third quarter — while delivering the opening salvo in the best-of-seven series.

Bam Adebayo recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Heat recovered from a 13-point, second-quarter deficit. Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent all scored 15 points for Miami.

Jayson Tatum had 30 points and seven rebounds and Jaylen Brown added 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Boston. Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points, Robert Williams III had 14 points and seven rebounds and Marcus Smart registered 13 points and 11 assists for the Celtics.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night in Boston.

Letting a double-digit lead get away at home was disappointing to Tatum.

“We’re going to watch film and talk about it,” Tatum said. “We’ll discuss the things we did well and the things we can do better and come out and execute better on Friday.”

The Heat led 114-105 after Butler’s basket with 5:33 remaining before the Celtics scored the next five points. Martin halted a Miami scoring drought of 3:23 by burying a 3-pointer to make it 117-110 with 2:10 to go.

Butler then made a 3-pointer that went in and out, bounced high and back in to make it a 10-point game with 1:03 left, and the Heat closed it out.

“He’s not playing for numbers,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of Butler. “He’s trying to help the offense get the best possible high-percentage shot.”

Miami shot 54.1 percent from the field, including 16 of 31 (51.6 percent) from 3-point range.

Boston made 51.9 percent of its shots and was 10 of 29 (34.5 percent) from behind the arc. Derrick White added 11 points for the Celtics.

Miami trailed 66-57 at halftime before outscoring Boston 46-25 in the third quarter to take a 12-point advantage. The Celtics led 71-59 after Smart’s 3-pointer 65 seconds into the period before the Heat’s explosion began.

Miami used a 13-1 burst to tie the score. The Heat later went on a 10-2 push to move ahead 86-80 on a 3-pointer by Strus with 4:25 left in the period. Miami took a 103-91 lead into the final stanza.

“We got away from who we are in the third quarter,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I thought the first half was good. I thought we just let go of the rope in the third quarter. Lost our sense of urgency. We played harder than them in the first half, and they played harder than us in the third quarter.”

Tatum scored 18 first-half points. The score was tied at 47 before the Celtics went on a 15-2 run to open up a 13-point lead with 2:08 left in the second quarter.

Butler scored 15 points and Lowry had 13 in the first half for the Heat.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: Boston Sports, Celtics, NBA Tagged With: 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, NBA

Celtics Prepare for Playoff Jimmy

May 17, 2023 by Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami Heat playoff hero Jimmy Butler is known for speaking his mind, and he didn’t disappoint Tuesday, one day before eighth-seeded Heat play the veteran Boston Celtics in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden.

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Butler insisted this Miami team will not be deterred on its way to the NBA title.

“This year is our year,” Butler said. “We’re going to go into this Game 1 and do what we’re supposed to do and be the first one to four (victories). We are very capable of it.”

This is the third time in the past four seasons that the Celtics and Heat have met in the East finals. And it will be a different Boston coach on the sideline for the third occasion.

Miami eliminated Brad Stevens’ Boston team in six games in 2020 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Last season, the Ime Udoka-coached Celtics ousted the Heat in seven games before falling to the Golden State Warriors in the championship round.

Udoka was fired prior to the season due to a workplace affair and was replaced by Joe Mazzulla, a first-time head coach who gets to match wits against Miami’s well-respected Erik Spoelstra.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge for Joe, but I think he’s going to handle it well,” Boston star Jaylen Brown said. “He’s handled it well all season. He’s been scrutinized, but he’s done a good job. He is a rookie coach, but he’s taken a championship-caliber team and now we’re back in the Eastern Conference finals.

“He deserves some credit for that. But he’s going against one of the greatest coaches of all time, and I think there’s a level of respect there and understanding that Spoelstra is going to make adjustments.”

Brown averaged 24.1 points in last season’s matchup with the Heat, just behind star Jayson Tatum’s 25 per game.

Tatum is coming off a performance for the ages. He poured in a Game 7-record 51 points as the Celtics pounded the Philadelphia 76ers 112-88 to reach the Eastern finals.

“It’s a big movie,” Boston guard Marcus Smart said of Tatum’s show. “Being able to just sit back, eat your popcorn and watch. Sometimes we do get in that mode where we forget that we’re on the court playing with him.”

Tatum has quickly put that epic effort behind him and is focused on competing against the Heat.

“A team that we’re extremely familiar with,” Tatum said about the matchup. “A very well-coached team, they compete with the best of them, play hard. They defend, they make plays and they figure out a way to win games. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be highly competitive and I’m looking forward to it.”

The intensity level is always high when Butler is on the floor. He averaged 25.6 points against Boston in last season’s series.

He also produced a milestone effort in this season’s playoffs with 56 points in a first-round victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The 56 points tied for fourth most in an NBA playoff game.

Butler was plagued by an ankle injury in the conference semifinal series win over the New York Knicks. The ankle is feeling better, and so is Butler’s outlook about Miami’s supporting cast.

“Guys are playing some incredible basketball,” Butler said. “I like our chances, as does everyone in this organization.”

Heat center Bam Adebayo hasn’t forgotten the critics that pounced when the team lost to the Atlanta Hawks in its first play-in game before beating the Chicago Bulls to move into the playoffs.

“It’s a crazy story being written,” Adebayo said. “Through all the ups and downs of this season, a lot of people counting us out and saying we weren’t even going to make it past the first round and now we’re in the Eastern Conference finals. It just shows the determination and the will that this team has.”

Boston and Miami split four regular-season meetings. Each club split the two games on its home floor.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: Celtics, NBA Tagged With: 2023 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, NBA

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