The Celtics, very dissuasive in defense and with offensive efficiency found in the second half, in the wake of Jaylen Brown, won (93-80) on the floor of the Heat to get closer to a first NBA final in twelve years. , Wednesday in the play-offs.
Boston, which now leads 3-2 in this series once morest the Heat, will have the opportunity to finish the job on Friday at its TD Garden. A scenario all the more credible that unlike the first four matches, very tight, this fifth game (93-80) highlighted major weaknesses in the attack of Miami, at the limit of the prohibitive.
A statistic particularly illustrates the lack of Florida address that occurred at the worst time, that of three-point shots: 7/45. And if the average (15.6%) is so abysmal, it’s not just the C’s, because the Heat missed many open shots, like this “air-ball” (shots without touching the circle) from Butler to start the last quarter, followed by a second much closer to the basket.
Like its leader, blocked at 13 points (4/18, 6 rebounds), nothing really worked in Miami’s game, which deluded during an extremely locked first period, at the end of which the 2020 finalist was only led by five points (42-37), because Boston had shown little more verve.
The reprieve did not last, because unlike the Heat, the Celtics have several strings to their bow and following a third quarter which saw them dig a slightly larger gap (69-58) in the wake of Jayson Tatum finally awake, Jaylen Brown pressed the mushroom in the last twelve minutes to carry the team to the victory trefoil.
Adebayo too alone
Timorous and well contained in the first act, with only ten points accumulated, the “Jay-Jay”, were released in the second: Brown finished with 25 points including 13 in the last quarter, Tatum with 22 points, brushing the triple-double (12 rebounds, 9 assists).
Al Horford (16 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) was once more very valuable, as was Derrick White (14 pts, 5 assists) off the bench, and Robert Williams was very active in defense (6 pts, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks), for his return following having missed the previous match because of a painful knee.
Boston was also able to count on its best defender of the season, Marcus Smart, who was absent on Monday due to a sprained right ankle, and who was more discreet (5 pts, 5 rebounds).
On the Heat side, even if he is not going through his best period during these play-offs, Tyler Herro, injured in the groin, missed, because he generally weighs around fifteen points.
The only one to have weighed in attack will have been Bam Adebayo (18 pts, 10 rebounds) imposing but too alone inside, the substitutes Gabe Vincent (15 pts) and Duncan Robinson (11 pts) not deserving. Unlike Kyle Lowry, author of a zero point in scoring.
Back to the wall, Miami will have to achieve a feat in Massachusetts to avoid an elimination that would taste of revenge for Boston, eliminated at this stage by this same opponent two years ago in the Orlando bubble.
If that happens, the Celtics will maintain the dream of an 18th coronation record, they who share the chair of the most successful teams with the Lakers, justly crowned once morest the Heat in 2020.