Wilting from effects of Heat
Miami's 22-2 run to start second half turns Game 1 defeat
MIAMI >> Full strength has been more of a dream — a luxury when it’s happened — than reality for the Celtics this season.
So naturally the Celtics went into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in a familiar, snakebitten state without Al Horford (health and safety protocols) and Marcus Smart (right foot sprain). And despite a brilliant first half that found the Celtics leading by eight points, the manpower drain showed.
Miami increased its defensive pressure and the Celtics wilted in a mess of turnovers and bad misses in their 118-107 Game 1 loss, a game that descended into a glorified wrestling match, much to the Heat’s benefit..
Jayson Tatum, despite a 29-point performance that included 21 in the first half, fell more into the theme of the evening with seven turnovers. Jaylen Brown struggled most of the night until a fourth-quarter resurgence and finished with 24 points on 7-for-17 shooting, including 3-for-7 from downtown and 6-for-10 from the line.
Jimmy Butler was simply too much to handle down the other end with a 39-point performance that included 17-for-18 free throw shooting.
All of their good work for a 62-54 halftime lead was undone by a pair of wild Miami runs — 22-2 over the first 6:16 of the third quarter and a closing 15-2 burst over the last 3:10 for a 9376 Heat lead.
The Celtics had only two baskets and eight turnovers over that horrid 12-minute stretch. Tatum alone had seven turnovers overall by the end of three quarters to go along with his 26 points, and Brown, lost in one of his worst nights of the postseason, had nine points on 3-for-12 shooting.
Though the going was ugly, the Celtics slugged their way through a 10-0 run early in the fourth that cut the Miami lead to 96-86. But Butler hit a late clock 20-footer over Tatum, who answered from downtown. But this time P.J. Tucker hit a bomb, and when Brown scored, Max Strus hit another 3-pointer for a 104-92 Miami lead with 6:34 left.
The exchange, with three jump balls as the result of loose ball grapples, continued until 3:20 left when Strus hit from downtown for a fairly airtight 11299 lead. Though Payton Pritchard’s late 3 cut the Miami lead to 114-107, the Heat were able to dribble out the clock.
Tatum’s 21-point, 9-for-14 half had lots of support, including a 12-point, 5-for-5, five-rebound run by Rob Williams and 10 frantic points off the bench by Pritchard for a 62-54 halftime lead. The Celtics were shooting 59.1 percent, and getting just about anything they wanted, especially at the rim.
The Heat had lost Tucker to an ankle injury, though he returned to start the third quarter, and the Heat bounced out with a gameturning 22-2 run for a 7664 lead. Gabe Vincent and Strus buried big 3-pointers, with Bam Adebayo’s chasedown block of Brown a particular crowd pleaser. The run’s last six points were fueled by three straight Celtics turnovers.
Miami’s ramped up defense limited the Celtics to two points over the first 5:44, all on free throws. Rob Williams finally scored the Celtics’ first basket of the quarter with 4:53 left in the third as part of a threepoint play.
The Celtics somehow answered, though, with a 9-0 burst that cut the Miami lead to three points. But the Celtics continued to throw the ball away.
The Celtics, with Rob Williams adding defensive backbone, jumped out to an 18-9 start before Herro brought the Heat back. An 8-0 Heat run was good for a brief 23-21 lead before the Celtics closed out for a 2825 quarter-ending edge.
Pritchard, after hitting a first quarter trey, added another bomb to a 9-0 second quarter run that pushed the Celtics lead out to 41-30.
Tucker left not long after, and Tatum picked up his scoring, including a wild floater for a 53-43 lead and a deep three for a 58-48 edge. Miami hit back with a 9-3 run, but the Celtics finished the half with a 62-54 lead.