The Miami Heat picked up an incredible 124-103 win over the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden to pick up their sixth win in a row and end the nine-game win streak the Celtics were on. This loss virtually ends the Celtics’ push for the No. 1 seed, with the team needing to make up a five-game difference with six games left in the season.
Tyler Herro led an excellent Heat team effort with 25 points (7-18 FG), six rebounds, and nine assists. Bam Adebayo had 21 points (9-15 FG), five rebounds, and six assists. Kyle Anderson had 19 points (7-11 FG) off the bench, while rookie Pelle Larrson scored 16 points (4-9 FG). Davion Mitchell had a great game as well, putting up 13 points (5-10 FG), seven assists, and three steals.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 24 points (10-20 FG) and nine rebounds as the only Celtic who scored over 20 points. Jayson Tatum struggled with 16 points (4-17 FG) and seven assists, while Derrick White also had 16 points (5-11 FG) and six assists. Luke Kornet had 14 points (7-9 FG) and six rebounds, while Payton Pritchard had 10 points (4-9 FG) off the bench.
Let’s take a deeper look at this game and analyze its major takeaways.
A Major Shooting Letdown In Boston
This was a pretty disappointing game for the Celtics. After setting offensive records last season and keeping their core together for a title defense campaign, the Celtics haven’t been able to maximize the offensive margins like they did last season. This could be due to more injury uncertainty affecting the lineups they use, with multiple players missing the game tonight.
With players like Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis absent, the team was hoping their shooting could make up for the missing talent. It couldn’t, as the Celtics shot 39-87 (44.8 FG%) from he field and a dismal 12-43 (27.9 3P%). It was the definition of ‘live by the three, die by the three,’ with the shorthanded Celtics unable to stop the Heat from scoring at will.
The Heat had a red-hot shooting night, going 43-83 (51.8 FG%) from the field and a scorching 14-30 (46.7 3P%) from three. Just this shooting efficiency created enough of a difference to lead the Heat to this win.
Jayson Tatum Not Looking Fully Healthy
An issue the Celtics were clearly dealing with on the court is maximizing team star Jayson Tatum. Despite losing both individual Playoff awards to Jaylen Brown last season, Tatum came into this season and took over the No. 1 option role in bombastic fashion. The team runs through Tatum, and if he can’t step up, the team then relies on Brown to do what he can do.
Tonight was a great example of that, as Tatum took just three fewer shots than Brown but was comfortably outscored. In the past, instances like these have led to people criticizing Tatum’s ability to lead a team. We don’t question any of his intangibles anymore, but we do question his health.
Tatum suffered an ankle injury last week during a game against the Sacramento Kings, missing just one game after the injury. He looked labored on the court today, and the Heat knew it, attacking him relentlessly on both ends of the court. If the Celtics’ main goal is to win a championship, resting Tatum before the end of the regular season will be an important box to check off.
Tyler Herro Emerging As A Franchise Leader
The Heat looked dead in the water after trading away Jimmy Butler and almost instantly going on an 11-game losing streak. The East isn’t strong so it allowed the Heat to remain in the Play-In Tournament positions without worrying about falling to No. 11. Now that the new core has found a rhythm together, the Heat are looking like contenders once again.
This emergence has a lot to do with the presence of guard Tyler Herro, who’s become an undisputed All-Star this season. He’s led the team admirably on the court since Butler left, stepping up as Bam Adebayo has had a sluggish season. They’re a franchise-leading tandem, but Herro’s continued development as an on-ball scorer and playmaker is hard to ignore.
From being thrown in almost every trade for a star-level player a few years ago to emerging as a star himself, Herro’s journey has been impressive. While this season might not be competitive for the franchise, Herro will look to recapture their glory days from next season as the No. 1 scoring option on the squad.
