10 takeaways from the Celtics dominant win over the Heat

1. Pure Dominance

In Miami’s first sport towards Boston with out Jimmy Butler and with Tyler Herro out, the Celtics made fast work of the Warmth in a 103-85 blowout victory.

After a gradual first quarter, the Celtics actually picked it up within the second and third quarter as they outscored the Warmth 70-41 throughout that stretch. This was a fairly boring sport total as with Miami being down their finest participant, the Warmth had no taking pictures on the ground and had no approach of constructing this sport aggressive.

The Celtics chilly taking pictures within the first and fourth quarters will make the chances look dangerous however Boston’s offense was actually buzzing on this sport. They shot 39-85 (46%) from the sphere and 17-53 (32%) from three. Boston actually dominated the painted space as they had been capable of reap the benefits of the Warmth’s lack of rim safety.

2. Jayson Tatum: The King of the Third Quarter

After Jayson Tatum dropped 40 factors on the New York Knicks on Saturday with 19 of these factors coming within the third quarter, some might surprise what he was going to do for an encore.

After not making a basket within the first quarter, Tatum lit up the Warmth for 33 factors, 20 of which coming within the third quarter alone.

Tatum began his third quarter efficiency with back-to-back three pointers over Andrew Wiggins. He then made an out and in dribble round an Al Horford display and pulled up for a easy fadeaway jumper over Kel’el Ware. Then he put his shoulder in to Wiggins’ chest and received off a finger roll that pressured Erik Spoelstra to name a timeout.

This didn’t cease Tatum’s sizzling streak, as he continued to bully the Warmth defenders for straightforward baskets. He drove his chest into Pelle Larson for a layup, then spun away from Terry Rozier on protection for a reverse layup, and eventually, after crossing up Duncan Robinson, drove to the basket and received a tricky and-1 bucket.

Jayson Tatum is at the moment averaging 9.3 factors per sport this season within the third quarter which is third within the NBA and is second in complete third quarter factors with 472.

3. Classic Horford efficiency

Not each evening Al Horford goes to place up an enormous efficiency however after they do come alongside, it’s all the time an incredible sight to see. Horford had a double-double towards the Warmth with 16 factors, 10 rebounds, and a pair of blocks on 6-11 taking pictures from the sphere and 4-8 taking pictures from three.

When the Celtics had been struggling to start out the third quarter, it was Horford who ignited the offense with 8 straight factors. He began with getting Kel’el Ware to chew on a pump faux three and received to the paint to hit a floater over Bam Adebayo.

The subsequent bucket got here when Tatum drove to the rim and dropped off a go to Kristaps Porzingis below the basket who kicked it out to a large open Horford for 3 on the prime of the arc.

The ultimate basket of this run got here with Horford setting a display for Sam Hauser so he might obtain a go from Tatum. Horford popped out to the three-point line and Hauser discovered him on a behind the again bounce go for a 3 over Ware.

Horford additionally did an incredible job when it got here to defending Bam Adebayo and preventing for positioning below the basket for rebounds. The perfect play on Bam was when he was capable of strip him within the second quarter in isolation that may rely as a block.

4. Hauser shifted the vitality

After the Celtics put up solely 18 factors on 6-25 taking pictures from the sphere and 2-18 from three within the first quarter and with Tatum going to the bench, the Celtics wanted a spark. That spark’s identify was Sam Hauser.

Hauser was on fireplace within the first half of this sport and completed with 15 factors on 5-8 taking pictures from three, with 12 of these factors coming within the second quarter.

Sam Hauser’s first three of the second quarter got here on the quick break as when Porzingis was driving to the basket, he kicked it out to Hauser for a nook three.

The subsequent three got here when Payton Pritchard was double teamed on the baseline and threw a cross court docket go to extensive open Hauser in the identical precise place as his first three of the quarter.

The third three of the quarter got here after Derrick White collapsed the protection and located Duncan Robinson out of place defending Hauser. White made a easy bounce go and Hauser rose up over a late contest from Robinson.

The ultimate three of the quarter got here on one other quick break. After Pritchard stole the ball on the protection, he got here down and located Hauser for a large open three that prompted the Warmth to lastly name a timeout.

5. Sneaky good Pritchard sport

Payton Pritchard’s scoring numbers may not have regarded spectacular with solely 5 factors on 2-9 taking pictures however he had an incredible sport in virtually each different side of the sport. He completed with 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and a +17 on the evening as he did an incredible job facilitating the Celtics offense when Tatum was off the ground.

The primary go that was actually spectacular got here on Sam Hauser’s second three of the evening. He was double teamed on the baseline and located Hauser for 3 on a cross court docket go.

One other nice go was when Pritchard was driving to the rim, pump faked like he was going to shoot a layup that received Duncan Robinson within the air, after which discovered Kristaps Porzingis streaking down the lane for an emphatic dunk.

6. Boston’s stable protection

The Celtics protection did an incredible job of constructing certain the Warmth couldn’t discover any rhythm on offense. Boston held Miami to solely 34% taking pictures from the sphere and 24% taking pictures from three.

Boston did an incredible job getting out to Miami’s three level shooters and had been capable of pressure some well timed turnovers that aided within the Celtics dominance within the second and third quarters.

Among the finest defensive performs of the evening for Boston was when Terry Rozier drove to the basket and Al Horford blocked him on the rim as he was rising up. Then when Bam Adebayo received the rebound, Jayson Tatum flew in and despatched again his put again try on the identical possession.

7. Starters balanced scoring

With the Celtics being undermanned tonight, solely seven gamers scored factors tonight with all however 9 of their factors (Pritchard: 5, Queta: 4) coming from the beginning lineup. Jayson Tatum led the best way with 33 factors, Kristaps Porzingis had 17, Al Horford with 16, Sam Hauser with 15, and Derrick White with 13. The beginning lineup mixed to shoot 50% from the sphere and 38% from three.

8. Subsequent man up mentality

With Jaylen Brown and Jrue Vacation out for the Celtics tonight, it was going to be as much as the Keep Prepared group to make an influence on tonight’s sport and they didn’t disappoint.

Boston received huge scoring nights from Horford and Hauser whereas Pritchard did an incredible job of facilitating the offense. Luke Kornet made an influence on protection and Baylor Scheierman additionally received some rotation minutes as properly late within the first quarter.

Horford even went out of his option to reward Hauser, Kornet and Pritchard in his postgame interview and particularly highlighted Luke Kornet. Horford mentioned Kornet has been key to the id of the Celtics and has performed an incredible job on protection when it got here to defending the rim.

9. Street Canines

With the Celtics win in Miami tonight, Boston has improved their league-leading highway file to 22-6. Because it stands proper now, Boston has the eighth finest highway file in NBA historical past up up to now.

The final Celtics crew to have a highway file this good was the 2007-08 Celtics at 31-10. The perfect highway file in NBA historical past got here with the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors at 34-7.

When NBC Boston’s Abby Chin requested Jayson Tatum about his ideas on the Celtics highway file, Tatum mentioned, “we hand over too many straightforward ones at dwelling so we’ve got to make up for it. We have to get again on observe at dwelling as a result of we let our followers down too many instances this yr and generally final yr, so we owe it to them to play higher at dwelling and we’re going to determine it out.”

10. Finish of a chapter to the rivalry

With Miami buying and selling Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, it marks the top to a chapter of a loopy time within the Celtics vs. Warmth rivalry.

The Celtics matched up towards the Jimmy Butler-led Warmth 4 completely different instances within the playoffs with three of these instances coming within the Japanese Convention Finals and the opposite coming with Butler injured within the first spherical of final yr’s playoffs. The ultimate tally resulted in a draw with each groups profitable twice towards one another however it was Boston that was the one crew to win a championship after profitable the matchup.

There was a distinct stage of tension and vitriol when these two groups confronted off within the playoffs through the years that has but to be matched by some other crew within the Japanese Convention. You knew you had been in for a number of the most annoying and grind it out basketball you could have ever seen with a lot of the video games coming all the way down to the wire.

Whether or not it was Jimmy Butler lacking the game-winning three in Sport 7 of the 2022 Japanese Convention Finals that resulted within the Celtics first Finals look since 2008 or the Derrick White buzzer beater in Sport 6 of the 2023 Japanese Convention Finals that pressured a Sport 7 after Boston was dow 0-3 within the collection, the matchups with the Miami Warmth within the playoffs created a number of the best moments in latest Celtics historical past.

With out the Celtics losses in 2020 and 2023, who is aware of if Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum enhance their video games to the extent they’re now. If the Celtics didn’t lose in 2023, who is aware of if Brad Stevens would have traded Marcus Good for Kristaps Porzingis and Robert Williams for Jrue Vacation. In a approach we should always thank Miami for exhibiting the Celtics precisely what their issues as a crew had been so they might have the ability to repair them and win the championship in 2024.

So that is goodbye for now Miami, I’m certain you’ll discover a option to get one other tremendous star participant sooner or later and the rivalry will probably be renewed as soon as once more however it should by no means attain the heights of the Jimmy Butler period.