The Miami Heat took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals series, following tonight’s win over the Boston Celtics. In the end, Erik Spoelstra’s guys won 106-101, making one more comeback to post this victory.
Boston was up 60-43 with 2:31 until the end of the halftime, seemingly controlling the situation on the court. Then came the third period in which the Heat blew away Boston, outscoring them 20 points, 37-17.
The biggest reason for that was the hero of Game 1, Bam Adebayo, who delivered 15 points in that sequence, missing just one of his eight shots from the floor. Adebayo ended the night with 21 points and 10 boards, adding four assists and two steals.
At the end of the third quarter, the Heat was up 84-77, with a boosted morale. Boston responded with a 10-0 run during the middle of the fourth, making a rally of their own, and taking a 5-point lead, 94-89.
But then again, Miami started pounding, creating a 13-1 burst. Jimmy Butler would eventually seal the game hitting two free throws with 7.4 seconds to go, providing his team with another big triumph.
Goran Dragic was once again in the middle of attention with 25 buckets in 34 minutes, shooting 10-for-19, and having 5 assists as well. Duncan Robinson scored 18 points, all of them from behind the arc, 6-for-12, while Jimmy Butler had 14 and four steals and boards. Jae Crowder had 12 points.
Tyler Herro contributed 11 of the bench, but his game in defense and help in the offense was great. The rookie posted nine boards, four of them offensive, and five assists.
Coach Spoelstra posted his 81st victory in the NBA playoffs, which moved him to No.8 in the all-time list, and tying him with KC Jones.
Goran Dragic this playoffs:
22.2 PPG (1st in team)
4.5 RPG
4.6 APG (2nd)
+104 +/- (1st) pic.twitter.com/sMMSvNHkVu— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 18, 2020
Kemba Walker had a team-high for the Celtics with 23 points, shooting 9-for-19. Boston’s point guard added seven rebounds and just three assists. The dynamic duo, Tatum-Brown, combined evenly for 42 points. Tatum had five points and four assists, while Brown posted six rebounds.
Marcus Smart played 38 minutes and had 14 points with four boards and dimes.
Even though the Celtics had a higher percentage when it comes to shooting from the floor, 50% compared to 44.4%, they had fewer field goals. Celtics also had an aerial advantage with a 41-38 edge in controlling the glass.
The things in which Miami had better stats were turnovers, 11-20 and assists, 27-19. The Heat made a big difference by utilizing the turnovers, scoring 26 points, and allowing just 10.
Game 3 is on Saturday, and if anybody thinks that it might be over, remember the last year’s East finals once Milwaukee had a 2-0 advantage over the Raptors.
