Celtics disappoint at home, losing Game 2 to Miami Heat 111-101
On Wednesday night the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat faced off in game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Boston headed into this one with a 1-0 series lead after a dominant performance on Sunday afternoon blowing the Heat out.
First Half:
Jayson Tatum started right where he left off on Sunday afternoon scoring 10 quick points in the first 5 minutes of the game. However the Celtics early lead quickly dissipated as Miami battled back to take a 27-22 lead with a minute left in the first quarter. Boston would battle back though led by Jayson Tatum and Al Horford cutting Mami’s lead to 1 at the end of the first 28-27.
Miami clearly came out with a gameplan to shoot more 3’s in game 2 and it was paying off early. Boston and Miami would continue to trade blows in the second with Boston getting a much needed lift from Al Horford making big plays and hitting 3’s to keep the Celtics in rhythm during the first half. Miami would continue to launch from 3 in the first half going 13/24 from distance in the half, a massive reason why they were able to keep the Celtics at bay and hold a lead for much of the first half.
This was the most 3’s the Heat had hit in a half all season and because of a late takeover from Jaylen Brown they were still unable to hold a lead at the half. Boston was led by their two superstars in Tatum and Brown both scoring double digits in the half, with Brown hitting a 3 and getting a steal and layup late in the final minute to give Boston a 61-58 lead at the half.
Second Half:
The second half started with Miami coming out of the gate firing, taking a quick 62-61 lead and they’d continue to launch 3’s and build on this lead. Going up 75-70 with 5 minutes to play in the 3rd. Boston’s offense was a little stagnant in the second not being able to find their usual rhythm because of Miami’s physicality and adjustments to Porzingis getting the ball in the post. Boston’s offense would continue to struggle late in the 3rd quarter going over 3 minutes without scoring while Miami built a 12 point lead on the backs of Caleb Martin and Bam Adebayo.
A concerning trend for the Celtics was Kristaps Porzingis in this one as he was 1-8 from the field with a minute left in the third and a -27 in the game. If Boston is going to win the series and go to the Finals as many predicted they’ll need a lot more out of Porzingis in the series. Boston would continue to battle back led by Jayson Tatum who had 24 points on 9/17 shooting at the end of the 3rd with Boston trailing 85-79 with a quarter left.
The 4th didn’t start much better for Boston as they struggled to get open looks and Miami continued to bully them down low. Boston trailed 90-81 with 8:23 left in the game and they’d need a huge fourth from their stars to turn it around. As the 4th progressed things would just get worse for Boston as Jaime Jacquez and Miami’s secondary options were hitting 3’s and wreaking havoc on the defensive end giving Boston fits. A Jacquez 3 pointer with 5:37 left in the game would give Miami a 100-91 lead and things were starting to get ugly for Boston. A team that’s been questioned countless times in these spots now had it’s backs against the wall at home in game 2 of a series they were supposed to run away with.
The Celtics would continue to try and chip away at the Heat’s lead but time was running out at a pair of Tatum free throws made it a 7 point game with 3:16 to play. Miami wouldn’t wither though led by terrific defense and timely shooting they just outlasted Boston in this one taking advantage of every opportunity. Brown and Tatum both played decent games but the rest of Boston’s roster and especially Kristaps Porzingis were a massive issue in this one.
A number of red flag takeaways in this one if you’re a Celtics fan, the lack of in game adjustments to get Porzingis more comfortable at the top of the list. Also the teams defense let Miami hit a franchise record 3 pointers in the postseason. There will be plenty of discussion around Boston struggling to finish out lesser opponents and Joe Mazzula’s coaching after this one and all of it will be justified. Now Boston will head to Miami for a Saturday night clash to try and regain the series lead or be in a very uncomfortable position down 2-1 as the #1 seed in the NBA.
