The Celtics outscored Miami 42-24 from 3-point range.
Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler (22) drives into the basket while Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) defends in the first part of an NBA game on Friday, Oct. 21st, 2022 in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
MIAMI (AP) MIAMI (AP) Jayson Tatum as well as the Boston Celtics keep on enjoying their trips to Miami.
Tatum recorded 29 points. Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and the Celtics defeated The Miami Heat 111-104 on Friday night in a replay of the year’s Eastern Conference finals.
The Celtics -the team whose last visit to Miami was the winner of Game 7 in the playoff series beat Miami 42-24 in 3-point range and improved to 2-1 in the interim of manager Joe Mazzulla.
“We’ve had a great team, and they’re trying to figure it all out.” Tatum said. “And I enjoy playing with the Heat. There’s a history here these past two years and they challenge you to be better. They help you become more of a team. They’ve got lots of passion, many amazing players, and a wonderful coach.”
Tyler Herro scored 25 points for Miami and the team received 19 points from Bam Adebayo Bam Adebayo, 19 from Jimmy Butler and 17 from Kyle Lowry.
Miami reduced an early deficit of 14 points to five points late in the game, but two consecutive baskets from Tatum made sure the game was sealed.
“Our guys love playing defense,” Mazzulla said. “And when you have an entire group of players who are passionate about defense, you’ve got the chance to shine.”
The Miami Heat have had their first start 0-2 since 2007-08 — and it’s the very first time that this has happened in Erik Spoelstra’s 15-year tenure serving as Heat coach. Miami was among the only two teams to not have an 0-2 start during the time period; but now only Portland is included on the list.
“We didn’t manage to climb over the wall and finish the job however, we have to keep going,” Spoelstra said. “There was definitely improvement between game 1 through game 2.”
Boston lead by as many as 11 at the start of the half. It took a 59-50 lead at the break and extended by 12 points when Brown scored consecutive points in the third.
It was around that time Miami came up with its most impressive stretch of the game. The 20-6 run of the Heat and Lowry, who each scored six points, Herro as well as Lowry both scoring 6 points each, earned Miami the lead 71-69the first lead it has had since midway through the opening quarter.
Just as Miami had the lead, Adebayo received his fourth foul and then an technical and the game was rearranged. Miami was minus-20 without Adebayo playing on the court while he was minus-27 for the 13 minutes Adebayo wasn’t in the court.
The Celtics match Miami’s 20-6 streak by putting together a 20-6 flurry of their own, with Tatum scoring eight of those points. Grant Williams ending it with three points and it was 89-77 through the final quarter.
“It’s not our game,” Adebayo said. “I believe that scoring 104 points is enough to make a difference in an entire game. The other end is what that we have to focus on.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston has won four consecutive times in Miami since the season’s East finals. The Celtics most successful winning streak during Miami is five games, which they have won twice (1988-90 and 2015-17). … In the 2015-17 season, the Celtics were ahead by 27-18 on bench scores. … Williams and Derrick White each scored 10 for Boston.
The Heat Spoelstra had to face more than 104 coaches during the course of his NBA career, following a match of the wits of Mazzulla in the very first game. … Victor Oladipo (left knee) has missed his second game in a row. He hasn’t made an performance for the NBA since the year 2018.
IN MEMORIAM
The Heat honored Celtics legendary Bill Russell throughout the evening and even had staff members wearing T-shirts sporting a large “6” across them.Russell’s jersey number which is now displayed an oversized banner that is moving in the arena in Miami. Miami also held an obituary before the game to honor the referee Tony Brown, who died this week of pancreatic cancer.