As in Game 1, the Boston Celtics gave the impression of having the game in hand in this Eastern Conference final against the Miami Heat, leading by seventeen points in the first half (60-43, 21st) . But as in Game 1, they let the Floridians come back and win (without overtime this time), 106-101, to take control of two wins to zero in the series. This defeat is likely to leave traces in the Celtics. Journalists present in the Orlando bubble reported a huge shouting match, heard from the hallway, in the Boston locker room with in particular a Marcus Smart reassembled and the noise of objects thrown.
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This outburst of anger is the result of the Celtics’ inability to materialize their moments of domination and their advantage on the scoreboard. Thursday, they completely missed their third quarter, the worst of their entire season (37-17 in favor of Miami), where they allowed Bam Adebayo, discreet until then, to wake up with fifteen points over this period (21 in total). And then, they missed their endgame. At the head of five points to 4’25 of the final siren thanks to 15-2 in their favor, they experienced a further decline with a 17-7 conceded which was fatal to them.
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10-1
The Miami Heat have now won ten of their eleven play-off matches this season. The only loss was conceded in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana (4-0) and Boston so far (2-0) have failed to take even one game in Miami.
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Miami side, two players have been crucial in the last few minutes. Despite a difficult game in attack (4 of 11 shooting in particular), Jimmy Butler proved untenable in defense with two important interceptions, including one where he recovered the ball acrobatically to prevent it from going out of the field, allowing his team to counter-attack (47th). A few seconds earlier, Goran Dragic had scored an improbable three-point basket with a dribble in the back to get rid of Daniel Thies and give his team five points (100-95, 47th), the final gap . The Slovenian leader was also the Heat’s most consistent player in attack, scoring 25 points in total (Heat’s top scorer, as in the first match, and the meeting).
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This second consecutive loss puts the Boston Celtics in a very delicate position. They will hardly have the right to make mistakes in Game 3 on Saturday. And by then, many problems will have to be resolved. On the ground but also visibly outside. “We will not beat this team if we are not completely connected in attack and defense”, warned Brad Stevens the Cetlics coach.
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