The roller coaster ride that is the Celtics’ 2022 postseason is back on the rise.
After losing a wild Game 3 at home on Saturday, the Celtics rebounded with a resounding 102-82 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden.
Jayson Tatum led the charge with a game-high 31 points, nearly doubling the production of Miami’s starters, who scored just 18 combined points. Derrick White had 13 points in place of the injured Marcus Smart to help the Celtics tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
The Celtics now have a perfect 5-0 record following losses this postseason and will look to take a 3-2 series lead on Wednesday night when the series returns to Miami for Game 5.
Here are our takeaways from Boston’s Game 4 victory:
Jayson Tatum’s aggressive mindset pays off
Tatum’s best games this postseason have come after losses, and Monday night was no exception.
The Celtics star bounced back from his brutal Game 3 to deliver an excellent overall performance (31 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks). He attacked the rim all night, scoring 24 of those 31 points either in the paint (10 points) or at the free throw line (14 points.
His 16 free throw attempts were his most in a game since March 6.
Tatum also thrived as a distributor with five assists, the best of which was an incredible crossover pass to Grant Williams.
Tatum is now averaging 32.6 points on 51.4% shooting after losses this postseason.
While the Celtics would prefer more consistency from their star player, he has shown an impressive ability to respond to subpar efforts with decisive performances.
Heat offense turns ice cold
Miami made history in a variety of ways Monday night, and none of them were good.
After scoring 39 points in the first quarter of Game 1, the Heat scored one point in the first eight minutes of Game 4. That’s right: one.
They missed their first 14 shots and didn’t make their first field goal until a 3-pointer by Victor Oladipo at 3:22 of the first quarter, enduring the longest drought to start a postseason game in 25 years.
