Key Moment
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the Celtics and the Heat got chippy while going down to the wire on national television.
These teams faced off Sunday on ABC and, as per usual, they battled it out to the final minute. This time around, it was the Celtics who made every big play they needed to make in order to win the game, while the Heat simply did not.
Here’s what the Celtics did during the final minute, in sequential order to secure the win:
- Kristaps Porzingis grabbed a critical defensive rebound with a minute to go in a two-point game and, in the process, drew a foul on Caleb Martin.
- Porzingis then connected on both of his free throws to double the lead to four.
- Jayson Tatum then defended Bam Adebayo in isolation on the next possession and forced a miss, with help from Porzingis.
- Porzingis then tipped an offensive rebound out to Jaylen Brown at the other end, which gave Boston an extra possession with 15.7 seconds left. The Celtics called timeout.
- Tatum then caught an inbound pass, was fouled, and drained two free throws with 14.6 seconds left to seal the game.
On the other side of the ball, Miami failed to make a single play during the final minute that would have provided the Heat with a chance to win. Martin committed the foul on Porzingis. Adebayo couldn’t score on Tatum and settled for a midrange jumper – not his strong suit – and missed. Miami didn’t grab the defensive rebound that Porzingis tipped out to Brown. And at that point, the game was over.
Miami made a run, sure, but it was Boston that made the plays that counted down the stretch.
Key Player
Nothing like flirting with a triple-double on national television while shooting 55 percent from the field. That’s what Jayson Tatum did Sunday afternoon in Miami, as he tallied game highs of 26 points and nine assists to go along with a team-best 10 rebounds.
Tatum, now a five-time All-Star, was dominant throughout the game while shooting 11-for-20 from the field. He racked up the game’s top scoring mark by putting pressure on Miami’s defense. Tatum made nine shots either at the rim or from the short midrange, all while getting to the line for two free throw attempts and making only two 3-pointers. His nine assists were also a third of Boston’s team total of 27, and nearly half of Miami’s team total of 21.
Tatum was dominant at the defensive end as well. He grabbed nine of his 10 rebounds at that end of the floor while also blocking two shots. Those two blocks trailed only Al Horford’s three in the game. He forced a critical miss out of Bam Adebayo during the final minute as Adebayo attempted to post him up.
What must also be noted is that Tatum did all of this while committing only one turnover. That’s one turnover while playing nearly 39 minutes of action, while facing traps and double-teams throughout the game, and while being the focal point of Boston’s offense. Truly a spectacular effort from the superstar wing.
Box Score Nuggets
- Three Celtics (Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum blocked as many shots as Miami did as a team.
- Tatum led the game in both points (26) and assists (nine). He also grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds.
- Each team scored at least 19 second-chance points, with Miami logging 23 and Boston logging 19.
- The Celtics did not score a single fast break point.
- Jrue Holiday shot 5-for-6 from long distance.
- Porzingis stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
- Tyler Herro led Miami with 24 points.
- Jaylen Brown totaled 20 points and nine rebounds.
- Duncan Robinson led all reserves with 15 points.
- Boston led for the entirety of the final three-plus quarters.
Quote of the Night
“It was just answering their runs. They’re a good team. It’s the NBA. They’re gonna go on runs. You just gotta withstand it and answer it.”
– Jayson Tatum on shutting down Miami’s comeback attempt
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