Following their 143-110 victory against the Heat on Thursday in Miami, the Celtics looked like the best NBA team. The C’s climbed to 35-10, 3.5 games ahead of the Bucks in second place. The Heat, who are currently 25-21, lost their sixth straight game.
The Celtics were sluggish to get going, giving up a back-court foul on their first possession, but they quickly caught up. Though not as hot as the Celtics, the Heat were nevertheless impressive from beyond the arc. The Celtics led 77–64 at the half.
Then the C’s blew the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Heat 36-26. That allowed them to build up a lead that peaked at 34 points Thursday. Notably, Kristaps Porzingis sprained his left ankle and didn’t return to the game. However, he did return to the C’s bench as there was no need to sub the big man back in during a blowout.
In the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum scored 26 points and pulled down 8 rebounds, negating the need for the starters. Jaylen Brown scored five assists and another eighteen points. For the Heat, Bam Adebayo scored 19 points, while Jimmy Butler chipped in with another 17.
The Celtics’ next game is on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Clippers. Four things may be learned from Boston’s victory over Miami:
Explosion of offense: The C’s were eager to make a statement against a struggling Heat team. Miami had the ninth-best defensive rating going into the game, but the Celtics were unstoppable offensively. They ended up with 143 points throughout the game, with 77 points in the first half. The Celtics were able to establish a comfortable lead in the second half as a result. The C’s
Missing piece: Part of why the Celtics dealt for Porzingis was to transform their offense as a post presence. Porzingis got off to a great start, pouring in 14 points in the first quarter. He looked exactly what the Celtics hoped when they traded for him, finishing with 19 points and four rebounds on 6-for-9 shooting in 21 minutes. But there were some worries coming from Thursday’s game as Porzingis had that left ankle sprain midway through the third quarter. The C’s will hope it’s not anything serious that will keep him out long-term.
Red-hot shooting: While the Celtics weren’t perfect Thursday, they filled it up from deep. They finished 22-for-40 (55%) on 3-pointers as the makes came easy all night. While the Heat had their hot stretches Thursday, they weren’t able to mount a comeback attempt because the C’s just kept raining 3s. The Heat finished 16-for-42 (38.1%) on 3s, in comparison. While the Celtics have found different ways to produce even when the jumpers aren’t going down, Thursday was proof that it’s extremely difficult to beat this squad when shots are falling.
Opportunity awaits: The Celtics went a perfect 3-0 on their three-game road trip, and now they return home for seven straight home games. The C’s have been the league’s best team in friendly confines, just recently dropping their first home game in the Nuggets loss last week. But with seven straight at the Garden, that allows the Celtics to continue picking up victories. They already have a comfortable lead atop the East standings, but they can add even more separation.
