The Boston Celtics took care of business Friday night, pulling away from the Miami Heat for a 129-116 win that felt more comfortable than the final score might suggest. The victory pushed Boston to 16-11 on the season and snapped a brief skid with a performance that finally looked like Celtics basketball again.
After a tight first half, Boston flipped the game in the final 18 minutes, leaning on shot-making, defensive activity, and a level of offensive balance Miami simply couldn’t match with a short-handed roster. After a convincing result due to some excellent performances from the men in green, let’s dive into the four major takeaways of this matchup.
Derrick White Completely Changed The Game With Shooting And Control
Derrick White’s stat line jumps off the page, but the timing of his shots mattered just as much as the volume. He finished with 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting and knocked down nine of his 14 attempts from three-point range. Boston as a team hit 21 threes, and White alone accounted for nearly half of them. Every Heat run seemed to end the same way – a White jumper that sucked the air out of the building.
What made the performance even cleaner was how little chaos surrounded it. White committed just one turnover in 36 minutes while also handing out six assists. On the defensive end, he added four blocks, an absurd number for a guard, often rotating over to erase Miami’s drives at the rim. His +27 plus-minus was the best in the game, and it reflected just how different Boston looked when he was on the floor.
Jaylen Brown’s Physicality Broke Miami
Jaylen Brown didn’t rely on jump shooting to make his mark. Instead, he attacked relentlessly, finishing with 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting and living at the free-throw line, where he went 10-of-11. Miami simply didn’t have the perimeter size or depth to absorb his downhill pressure once the game opened up in the second half.
Beyond the scoring, Brown stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds and seven assists, frequently punishing double teams by finding shooters on the weak side. The five turnovers were a byproduct of how often he had the ball and how aggressively he played, but Boston lived with them because of the pressure he applied. When the Celtics needed a tone-setter, Brown was the one delivering it.
Boston’s Shooting Depth Finally Showed Up
This game was a reminder of why Boston is so difficult to guard when the role players are confident. Sam Hauser went a perfect 5-of-6 from deep, scoring 15 points in 25 minutes and stretching Miami’s defense past its breaking point. Anfernee Simons added 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, giving Boston steady offense without forcing the issue.
Overall, the Celtics shot 54% from the field and 49% from three, compared to Miami’s 39% overall shooting. Boston’s spacing consistently pulled Miami out of rebounding position, contributing to the Heat’s drop from 17 second-chance points in the first half to just seven after halftime. When Boston’s shooters are decisive, the offense becomes overwhelming very quickly.
Defense and Rim Protection Closed The Door
The final margin was created on the defensive end. Boston opened the fourth quarter on a 20-7 run, forcing Miami into rushed threes and contested shots. The Celtics finished with eight blocks as a team, including four from White and two apiece from Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta.
Miami attempted 102 shots but converted just 40 of them, and while the Heat grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, Boston largely erased their impact after halftime. The Celtics controlled the defensive glass in the second half, out-rebounding Miami 40-30 overall on that end. Once Boston paired defensive stops with quick offense, the game tilted permanently in their favor.
