Jayson Tatum had 34 factors and 11 rebounds, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown every added 16 factors and Boston staved off elimination within the Eastern Conference finals by operating away within the second half to beat Miami 116-99 in Game 4.
In entrance of PGA champion Brooks Koepka, Grant Williams scored 14, Al Horford added 12 and Marcus Smart 11 on Tuesday night time for the Celtics, who nonetheless path the collection 3-1 — however despatched it again to Boston for a Game 5 on Thursday.
Jimmy Butler scored 29 for the Heat, who led by 9 within the second half earlier than getting outscored 48-22 in a 14-minute stretch that turned the sport — and maybe the collection — utterly round. Boston would even have Game 7 on their ground as properly if they’ll hold extending this collection.
The Heat shot 8 for 32 on three-pointers, whereas Boston have been 19 for 45.
No staff in NBA historical past have ever efficiently rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven collection; 150 have tried, 150 have failed.
But the Celtics gave themselves hope.
“We were just trying to save our season,” Tatum stated.
Miami led by as many as 9 factors within the opening quarter, saved the lead for almost all of the primary half and have been up by 9 once more when Max Strus related on a triple early within the third.
Boston’s season was formally on the brink.
And the Celtics responded — most emphatically.
An 18-0 run took them from down 9 to up 9, an enormous turnaround that took solely three minutes. Tatum had 9 of these factors and identical to that the defending East champions — who gained three playoff video games on Miami’s residence ground in final 12 months’s playoffs — have been rolling once more.
The Heat acquired inside 4 late within the third quarter, solely to see one other lightning-fast spurt by the Celtics — this time, seven unanswered factors in 40 seconds.
Boston’s edge was 88-79 going into the fourth, after profitable the third 38-23, with 21 of these factors approaching three-pointers.
The Celtics saved the lead the remainder of the best way.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
