The Boston Celtics have equalised against Miami in the play-offs. The Heat’s starting lineup provided historic
On Monday (local time), the team from Massachusetts took a clear 102:82 (57:33) home victory. The Celtics set the course for victory early on. The series is now tied at 2-2 and Miami will play the fifth of seven games in the battle for a place in the NBA Finals on Wednesday (local time).
The hosts opened the game with a 26:4 run, after the first quarter the Celtics were leading with 18 points difference. Jayson Tatum was in particularly good form: Boston’s top scorer scored 24 of his total 31 points in the first half and thus fulfilled the expectations placed in him for the first time in this series. After the break, the Celtics extended their lead to as many as 32 points at times.
“We bounced back from our previous loss. We were determined to play better again because we also knew how important a win in this game is for us. Now we are ready for game five,” Tatum announced.
Spoelstra: “They jumped all over us “
Boston’s Daniel Theis came off the bench to score four points and grab three rebounds in nine minutes of action. Curious: The five players in the Heat’s starting line-up combined for only 18 points. Since starting line-ups were statistically recorded in the NBA in the 1970/71 season, this is the lowest number of points scored by a first five in play-off history.
Accordingly, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra summed up the game with disappointment: “They jumped all over us. But more than anything, our offensive weakness at the beginning hurt us. We didn’t play with enough focus. “
