Los Miami Heat had a scare at the end of the fourth quarter but finally won the victoria 109-103 Over the Boston Celtics this Saturday to go ahead 2-1 in the Final Series of the Eastern Conference of the NBA.
Center Bam Adebayo was the offensive axis of the Miami team with 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He was flanked on offense by PJ Tucker with 17 points and seven sacks, Max Strus with 16 points and point guard Kyle Lowry, who returned to the lineup. Lowry excelled with 11 points and six assists.
For the locals, Jaylen Brown stood out with 40 points and nine balls recovered in the rebounding fight, followed by the Dominican Al Horford with 20 points and 14 sacks. The fourth game of this best-of-seven series will be next Monday at the same venue in Boston.
The match
A 20-6 fourth quarter with three minutes remaining gave Boston a chance to get dangerously close on the scoreboard, but the Heat responded with baskets by Strut and Adebayo and two free throws by Tucker to lead the rest of the game. The team from the Capital del Sol squandered a 26-point lead in the first half (46-20 with 9’43” to close the second quarter) and the Celtics came within a point of Miamiwho played in the second half without star Jimmy Butler with a knee injury.
Boston never led the game, but erased almost the entire 62-37 deficit in the first half and came within a point (93-92) with 2:40 to play with a triple by Brown, who ended with a magical night of 40 points. Strus then answered with a 3-pointer and then Adebayo made a basket as the clock sounded.
Miami recovered in Boston the sporting advantage of the series. (AFP)
In a game in which Butler and Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart left with injuries, though both Celtics returned, point guard Lowry returned to Miami following a four-game absence. Lowry missed a total of eight of the Heat’s previous 10 games with a strained right hamstring, last playing in Game 4 of the second-round series that Miami beat the Philadelphia 76ers.
For its part, Tatum also had six turnovers and Brown had seven of Boston’s 24, a high in these playoffs. The Heat took a 62-37 lead with less than three minutes left at halftime.
Adebayo lifting his team well as visitors. (AFP)
Things got worse for the Heat when they then announced at halftime that Butler, who scored 41 in the series opener, would not return with inflammation in his right knee. Trailing 93-80 in the fourth quarter, the Celtics scored 12 straight points, 10 by Brown, to get within a goal with 2:40 remaining, but the Heat rallied to seal the win.
The schedule and results of the 2021-2022 NBA playoff conference finals, which are played in the best of seven games:
— EASTERN CONFERENCE:
– Miami Heat (1st seed) vs. Boston Celtics (2nd) (Heat leads series 2-1)
Tuesday, May 17: Heat – Celtics 118-107
Thursday, May 19: Heat – Celtics 102-127
Saturday May 21: Celtics – Heat 103-109
Monday May 23: Celtics – Heat
Wednesday, May 25: Heat – Celtics
Friday, May 27: Celtics – Heat (if necessary)
Sunday, May 29: Heat – Celtics (if necessary)
— WESTERN CONFERENCE:
– Golden State Warriors (3rd) vs. Dallas Mavericks (4th) (Warriors lead series 2-0)
Wednesday, May 18: Warriors – Mavericks 112-87
Friday May 20: Warriors – Mavericks 126-117
Sunday, May 22: Mavericks – Warriors
Tuesday May 24: Mavericks – Warriors
Thursday May 26: Warriors – Mavericks (if necessary)
Saturday May 28: Mavericks – Warriors (if necessary)
Monday, May 30: Warriors – Mavericks (if necessary)