Boston Celtics hang on to win Game 3 against Heat

Finally, the Boston Celtics closed out the Miami Heat in an Eastern Conference Finals game.

The Boston Celtics got a much-needed win in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, triumphing by a score of 117-106. With all of their rotation players available, the Celtics found a way to crack the Heat’s zone defense, outscoring Miami despite their late surge in the final minutes.

Jaylen Brown had one of his best games as a Celtic, finishing with a line of 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block. He often got the ball on the perimeter with a head start, as he has a quicker first step than most of the Heat defenders. This allowed him to finish over Bam Adebayo with ease throughout the game, as the big man also found himself in foul trouble. As a whole, Boston attacked the rim more than in Games 1 and 2, outscoring Miami 60-36 in the paint.

Brown took only two of his 17 shots from distance, indicating his desire to attack the rim at will, playing to his strengths. Sometimes Brown loses track of what he does well, but he used his athleticism around the rim to finish over defenders last night. From inside the arc, the fourth year man shot 10-15, scoring with great efficiency. On defense, Brown interrupted the passing lanes to get easy points in transition, which is the way the Boston Celtics got out to a 13-point lead in the first half.

Jayson Tatum had another spectacular game for himself, almost recording a triple-double, ending with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Tatum had better shot selection than in previous games, hitting the open man in the zone defense rather than forcing isolation shots. He only shot 2/7 from deep, but hit seven of his 13 two-point shots, following the trend set by Brown. The Celtics looked to Daniel Theis seals to free up open shots as the rim as well, something that Jayson has become proficient at in his own right.

Kemba Walker had a solid game, showing the world that he can be a productive player in playoff basketball. With 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists, Kemba has taken a backseat in the offense, but is a reliable option in late game offense. He, Tatum, and Brown took turns attacking the likes of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson in isolation, forcing their way to rim for free points. Walker was also the only Celtic who had it going from downtown on the night, hitting four of his eight shots from distance.

Marcus Smart closed out the game for the Boston Celtics, scoring 20 points and going 10/10 from the line. When the Heat cut the deficit to five with under a minute remaining, Smart decided to drive the lane instead of running clock, ultimately drawing a foul. This decision is certainly not the correct one, as it has a high probability for disaster, but…in Marcus Smart we trust.

Coach Brad Stevens put Smart, the Celtics’ best defender, on Goran Dragic in this game, hindering his offensive production substantially. Dragic was only 2/10 from the field for 11 points on the night, finishing with a game-worst plus/minus of -29. This adjustment put Kemba Walker on Jae Crowder, who had trouble taking advantage of the mismatch, as he has gone away from his days of driving to the rim. Instead, he fired from deep again and again, shooting all 10 of his shots from distance and only draining a pair.

Gordon Hayward played 31 minutes in his first game in over a month. His numbers don’t jump off the charts, ending up with six points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals, but he provides another steady ball-handler against the Miami zone. He always makes the right decision and pass, something that is crucial against this type of defense.

Stevens went to a lineup with the best five players on the floor, with Brown, Tatum, Hayward, Walker, and Smart all on the floor. This lineup extended the lead at the end of the first half, going on a 10-2 run, as all of these Celtics players have active hands and force steals in the passing lanes. Even though the Celtics lack size in this particular lineup, the Heat could not take advantage of the height differential.

Grant Williams also played substantial second half minutes as a small-ball center, scoring five points. He did pick up four fouls in only nine minutes, but once again showed his ability to switch and communicate on defense while offering a better option at back-up center compared to Enes Kanter or the bench-ridden Robert Williams.

For Miami, they got a decent amount of open looks from downtown, but couldn’t take advantage, shooting 12/44 (27%) on the night. Bam Adebayo carved up the Boston Celtics defenders once again, scoring 27 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. However, besides he and Tyler Herro, who couldn’t miss anything in the second quarter, the Heat had no other reliable offense. The aforementioned Herro scored 22 points on the night and 16 points in the second quarter alone, keeping Miami within striking distance. Heat star Jimmy Butler only scored 17, going 6/13 from the field.

To rap up, the Boston Celtics made some key adjustments that seemed to work. First, attacking the zone by driving to the rim and using athleticism to finish over Bam Adebayo. On defense, placing Marcus Smart on Goran Dragic completely stalled his offensive productivity, as he scored over 25 points in both Games 1 and 2. Finally, the re-addition of Gordon Hayward allowed coach Stevens to go his 5-small lineup, breaking up passing lanes which led to easy transition points.

Although they almost blew this lead as well, the Boston Celtics got a much needed win, as they look to tie up the series on Wednesday.