It was a wild night at TD Garden as the Boston Celtics pulled off one of their greatest comebacks in modern franchise history. Down 21 points, the Celtics looked lifeless going into the locker room at halftime, but a different team emerged for those last 24 minutes. In a show of impressive resilience, they rallied in the third quarter to outscore the Heat by 21 points to get back into the game and secure the win (98-96).
Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 29 points, seven rebounds, two assists, zero steals, and one block on 44.0% shooting and 14.3% shooting from three. Derrick White added 21 points, three rebounds, five assists, one steal, and four blocks on 30.0% shooting and 33.3% shooting from three. Off the bench, Payton Pritchard contributed 24 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, and zero blocks on 53.3% shooting and 66.7% shooting from three.
For the Heat, Andrew Wiggins finished with 26 points, six rebounds, zero assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 62.5% shooting and 71.4% shooting from three. First-time All-Star Norman Powell finished with 24 points, three rebounds, four assists, four steals, and zero blocks on 60.0% shooting and 42.9% shooting from three, while Davion Mitchell dropped 13 points, two rebounds, six assists, zero steals, and one block on 45.5% shooting and 33.3% shooting from three.
For two teams who share so much history, we could have expected this type of highly competitive game, but this went beyond what most expected. After relentless activity all night, it took a massive second-half run to swing the game, and it says a lot about where both teams stand heading into the All-Star break.
Nikola Vucevic Fits Like A Glove
The Celtics didn’t make a big splash for Giannis or Anthony Davis, but they did acquire veteran center and two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic. At 35, you can’t expect him to play a massive role for Boston, but he had a positive debut tonight that showed the kind of impact he can have regularly. In 27 minutes off the bench, he tallied 11 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 50.0% shooting (0-1 from three). He played within the flow of the game, flashed his post-game, and looked like a natural fit with the team.
Once Vucevic gets more comfortable in the offense, he’s going to have an even greater impact as the chemistry develops. It was only his first game in Boston, and he demonstrated all the qualities the Celtics want in their center. Whether he transitions to a starting role remains to be seen, but his addition has clearly made the Celtics stronger, with more versatility than ever before.
Celtics Defense Is Legit
The Celtics don’t have a lot of defensive pieces on paper, but tonight was the fifth straight game that they held their opponents to under 100 points. Multiple factors are to blame, but transition defense is a major part of the formula, as well as offensive rebounds, which the Celtics secured 13 of in tonight’s game. Boston was active all night, limiting the Heat’s fast-break opportunities in the second half (only two in the final two quarters) to open up the game.
As a team, the Celtics held Miami to 96 points on 41.7% shooting and 32.5% shooting from three. Most importantly, they defended without fouling, limiting the Heat to just 18 free-throw attempts. These types of games are proof that the Celtics don’t need shooters like Anfernee Simons to succeed. Once Tatum comes back, the offense will be set. Their formula for success starts with defense, and they have plenty of guys who can hold up on that end of the floor.
Jaylen Brown Building MVP Case
Without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics weren’t projected to get far this season. They certainly weren’t projected to be second place in the East at the start of February. While their success has been a collective effort, Jaylen Brown has been leading the show by providing a steady scoring hand and strong voice on the court. Tonight, he was doing a little of everything for Boston with 29 points, seven rebounds, two assists, zero steals, and one block on 44.0% shooting and 14.3% shooting from three.
Besides giving the Celtics a bucket whenever they needed it, Brown set the tone on defense by accepting the toughest assignments. His effort and activity on the floor were contagious, spreading to his teammates and inspiring seven steals as a group. Love him or hate him, you have to acknowledge what Brown is doing this season, and the latest performance is further proof that his elite play is no fluke.
Focus Issues Exposed For Miami
It’s hard to say exactly why things went so wrong for the Heat. They’ve been prone to third-quarter meltdowns before, but this game was far beyond anything we’ve seen this season. Despite going into halftime with a 21-point deficit, the Celtics managed to close the gap on a whopping 36-15 run in the third quarter, and the Heat never recovered. Whatever message Erik Spoelstra told his team in the locker room did not get heard, and it suggests a serious lack of focus throughout the roster.
The Heat did have a chance to win the game down the stretch, but lapses on defense allowed Boston to pull away in the final minutes. Coming off a deadline where the Heat missed several big-name targets, this loss hits especially hard. Having a true superstar to take on the scoring burden would have helped settle the game tonight, but they were unable to stay focused long enough to keep their lead and stave off a clearly better team.
