MIAMI — For the first 1:59 of Wednesday night’s game, neither the Boston Celtics nor the Heat missed a shot. They made seven straight baskets. Jaylen Brown went ballistic for Boston, and Bam Adebayo took on that role for Miami.
By the 4:44 mark, the Heat held a one-point lead, but both sides had already put up monster scoring numbers. A pair of Kel’el Ware free throws made the score 30-29.
From that point on, it was all Boston.
In those final few minutes of the first quarter, the Celtics outscored the Heat 24-3. Boston’s 53 first-quarter points were the most scored in a single quarter since 1970.
Brown finished the quarter with 20 points, two rebounds, and one assist on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from deep. Yet somehow, he wasn’t the clear-cut offensive leader for Boston.
Sam Hauser threw his hat in the ring for that title in the first quarter. He scored 17 points and didn’t miss a shot. Hauser shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor and 5-of-5 from beyond the arc.
As the second quarter got underway, the Heat kept things close, avoiding an onslaught like the one that occurred in the first.
Jayson Tatum heated up in the second, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, but Miami also found chances to get out and run in transition. A few empty possessions and live-ball turnovers gave Miami some life. They scored 11 fast-break points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Still, Miami was unable to find a consistent offensive rhythm (at least, after its red-hot start). Boston maintained its lead, pouring in a whopping 80 first-half points to Miami’s 57.
And despite Brown, Hauser, and Tatum’s offensive showings, the best sequence of the first half came from Derrick White.
As the game clock was ticking down in the second quarter, White threw a lob to Brown in transition. Miami quickly grabbed the ball out of the basket and threw it to Pelle Larsson, who was already dashing down the court.
White sprinted from one end of the court to the other to contest Larsson’s shot, preventing an easy layup. It was the ultimate hustle play.
As the third quarter got underway, the Heat found a small window for a comeback. They began the quarter shooting 5-of-6 from three-point land, cutting into Boston’s monstrous lead.
But even then, by the 4:55 mark, the Celtics had regained control. And Brown didn’t slow down at all.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. did his best to keep Miami afloat in the final few minutes of the third. And he got some support from Ware and Davion Mitchell, too.
The long ball gave Miami life. The Heat finished the third quarter with 45 points, including 25 in the final 4:19. They entered the fourth within striking distance and with the entire Kaseya Center behind them.
Tyler Herro nailed a transition three at the 10:41 mark in the fourth to bring Miami within nine points, but the Celtics immediately
