After a stunning Heat win in Game 2 when they set a franchise record for threes made in a playoff game, the Celtics needed to bounce back in Miami in Game 3 to regain home court advantage. Not only was it important to win, but the Celtics really needed an emphatic win to snuff out any hopes the Heat had of suddenly making it a competitive series beyond their hot shooting night.
Boston accomplished that mission on Saturday evening, as they dominated the first half and cruised to a 104-84 win that re-established order in the series. In the first quarter, neither team could get much going offensively, but the Celtics were able to open up a 21-12 lead as they suffocated the Heat defensively. In the second quarter, things went from bad to worse for Miami, as Boston’s offense got rolling, headlined by some strong shooting from Jayson Tatum, as they piled up 42 points in the frame to open up a 24-point halftime lead.
In the second half, the Celtics let off the gas on offense but continued to give the Heat fits with their defensive effort, as Miami shot just 41.6 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three on the night. For Boston, it wasn’t quite as dominant a performance as Game 1 but they certainly righted the ship and got both of their stars going, as Tatum and Brown had 22 points each.
They got support from Kristaps Porzingis (18 points) and Derrick White (16 points), and now have reclaimed home court with one more game left in Miami. It certainly seems like Miami’s chances come down to getting hot from three, but that task is made even more difficult when Boston’s defense extends higher as they did on Saturday to prevent the wide open looks Miami created in Game 2. Still, the Celtics will need to maintain focus on the task at hand and not look too far ahead if they want to create a series clinching opportunity when they return to Boston for Game 5.
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