Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 96-90 win over the Heat in quickie form.
HEADLINES
Kyrie saves the day: After an ugly offensive start to the night, Irving found his rhythm when it mattered most for the visitors. With the Heat trailing 86-84 and just over two minutes remaining, the All-Star erupted for nine points over a 1:55 stretch to put away the feisty hosts for good. Irving finished with a game-high 24 points in the win, his fourth straight 20-point effort.
Defense sets the tone: The Celtics’ offense remains a work in process on a nightly basis, so an energetic defense carried the day for the visitors for the first three frames as the Heat managed to muster 63 points in just three frames. Even after a 27-point “outburst” in the fourth quarter, Miami could only manage 42 percent shooting on the night and a paltry 26 percent mark from downtown. Boston ranks as a top-5 team in overall defense and 3-point defense after the win.
Tatum continues to raise the bar: Another day, another incredibly efficient night for the 19-year-old rookie, who scored 20 points on just nine field goals attempts. He was 6-of-7 from the free throw line and 2-of-2 from downtown and is now averaging 15 ppg on 53 percent shooting on the season. The case can be made he’s been the most consistent Celtic on the offensive end this year.
SECOND GUESS
A bit of nitpick, but Brad Stevens waited until two minutes left to get Tatum back into the game after playing him extended minutes at the start of the fourth quarter. It almost came back to bite him.
TURNING POINT
Irving put a stop to a 7-0 Heat run in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter by going on a 7-2 run by himself in the wake of a Celtics timeout, scoring on a pair of nifty moves to the basket and a clutch 3-point jumper. The outburst pushed Boston’s lead to 93-86 with under a minute remaining, giving the visitors the cushion they needed to close out their fourth-straight win.
TWO UP
Tatum: I’ll let the rookie’s averages through six games do the talking: 15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 50.9% FG, 53.3% 3PT.
Daniel Theis: Only 15 minutes of action, but he was very productive with his opportunities yet again, piling up eight points and four rebounds off the pine. He fouled a bit too much in the second half but he continues to look like a reliable rotation piece for Stevens all year long.
TWO DOWN
Jaylen Brown: He was the team’s plus/minus champion tonight (+16) but he struggled with his shot yet again (1-of-7 FG). An unnecessary technical foul from him in the fourth quarter also breathed life into the Heat, fueling a 7-0 run that helped trim a Celtics late to two points before Irving’s late-game run.
Terry Rozier: The third-year guard is starting to come back to earth on the offensive end. He’s shooting just 24 percent from the field in his last three games (6-of-25) and took a number of ill-advised jumpers in the fourth quarter that kept the Heat close.
INJURIES
None
TOP PLAYS
Tonight’s @JetBlue Play of the Game: Kyrie drains the dagger 3-pointer ? pic.twitter.com/toQWXiKKlp
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 29, 2017