Miami (USA), Jan 25 (EFE).- The Boston Celtics won very forcefully this Thursday in Miami (110-143) against the Heat, avenging the defeat in the last Eastern final and showing why They are today the best team in the NBA.
Seven players finished with double figures in scoring, with Jayson Tatum being the most notable with 26 points to celebrate his inclusion in the starting quintet of the ‘All-Star Game’. Along with him, the 19 of the Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, who ended up touched, the 18 of Jaylen Brown and the 17 of Jrue Holiday.
Boston has three wins in a row, for a partial of six wins in the last seven games. In Miami they showed great defense and also many resources to score in different ways with great ease.
The Heat never had a chance of victory and every small reaction they could have was answered with another set that distanced them even further from their goal.
Spoelstra’s team has five consecutive losses for the first time this season, and it is their worst streak since they also lost five in a row in January 2021.
The 19 points from Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, plus the 17 from Jimmy Butler, were insufficient on a fateful night in the triple.
Boston impressive from the first minute
Boston started the game very well offensively, balancing outside shooting with actions closer to the rim in which Tatum was paired with Highsmith, and knew how to take out personal fouls to guarantee points from the free throw line.
Spoelstra called a timeout after five minutes with the score at 12-17, trying to correct defensive details that would slow down the Celtics’ scoring projection. But if Boston has something, it is resources, and they read the advantages well with Porzingis defended by Butler taking advantage of comfortable shots that were impossible to block. The Latvian reached his 3,000th basket in the NBA in the first few minutes.
In addition, Jaylen Brown punished a lot from the perimeter with two three-pointers from three attempts, shooting nine ahead of his team with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
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The result after twelve minutes, 29-42, rewarded the excellent visiting defense and its balance when searching for the opposing goal, combining outside shooting, inside play and quick transitions. The three-pointers killed Miami, they received 6 of 11 attempts with up to four rival players contributing from the arc.
The forces were equalized upon returning to the hardwood, Miami found a way to compete, at least during the minutes in which neither Porzingis nor Tatum were on the court.
The contribution of one of the least common players, Thomas Bryant, was very relevant, who gave his team a lot of air with second plays and acting above the rim. He was the top scorer of the period for Spoelstra’s team with seven points.
The ten points were always a reference around which Boston’s income oscillated, although Miami managed to stop the scoring capacity of its rival, it did not manage to take control of the game from it and they reached halftime with the same distance of thirteen points: 64 -77.
The Celtics, eager for revenge
Joe Mazzulla’s team offensively devastated their rival when they returned from the locker room with a lot of artillery from the triple. They converted five of seven in the first five minutes, but also took advantage of defensive gaps on the part of the hosts who conceded easy baskets.
It was evident that there was some more motivation in the game, not just victory. Spoelstra stopped the game with a blushing 76-98 after another triple from Tatum, which coincided with Porzingis asking for the change after strong contact on a rebound. The Latvian went to the bench, Mazzulla had no need to risk the physique of his star.
Miami resorted to the triple to cut something back and regain sensations, three went in without error and Mazzulla reacted when he saw that his rival was getting closer to 16 points (87-103) with 3:32 left in the quarter.
It was a matter of time before the Celtics’ best work on the court was reflected again on the scoreboard with a 90-113 score that gave way to the final act.
Any hope of a comeback was buried with the 0-6 start conceded by the locals. What became at stake was the image and not the victory, incontestable on the part of the Celtics (90-119).
With 6:30 left, neither Mazzulla nor Spoelstra played their regular players anymore and turned to the depths of their rotation to close out the night. The final result was 110-143, the Miami Heat’s worst defeat in this 2023/2024 season.
(c) EFE Agency
2024-01-26 03:28:21
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