Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 109-101 win over the Heat with complete BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics wings carry them to shorthanded win: The Celtics didn’t have two key contributors on Tuesday night for the third straight game but it did not prevent them from pulling off a meaningful road victory. Gordon Hayward scored a game-high 29 points and added 9 rebounds while Jaylen Brown chipped in with 25 points, as the C’s led nearly start to finish in a 109-101 victory over Miami.
It was just the third home loss of the season for Miami, as the C’s pulled within 1/2 game of them in the East standings with the win. With Tatum (groin) and Kanter (hip) out, Stevens stuck with his starters for big minutes all night, giving the game a playoff feel with an eight-man rotation and Boston's core guards and wings playing over 36 minutes.
All five starters scored in double figures thanks to the workload with Daniel Theis adding a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds). The C’s backcourt struggled from the field (8-of-32) but Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart both made big plays down the stretch in the win as the C’s closed out the road trip with a 2-1 record.
Goran Dragic had a team-high 23 points off the bench for the Heat. The C’s now return home to face off with the Warriors on Thursday night.
Celtics regain momentum after Pelicans stinker: The Celtics clearly weren’t themselves in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death on Sunday in New Orleans but this was always going to be the game that mattered the most on this trip, given how close Miami is to them in the standings. With a complete team win, the C’s now lead the season series 2-0 against Miami and also allowed Tatum to get the rest he needed for a strained groin while keeping pace in the East. The C’s have already lost the season series to Philadelphia but find themselves in good spots against Toronto (2-1) and the Heat with potential tiebreaker advantages set to go their way in the race for the No. 2 seed. There’s a lot of basketball to be played but this one could matter in a major way by the end of the regular season.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before the Heat trimmed the lead to five in the final two minutes of the contest. Marcus Smart put an end to Miami’s run however with a stepback 3 at the top of the key, along with a steal and offensive rebound in the next minute to help the C’s put the game away.
TWO UP
Grant Williams: The rookie played primarily center against an undersized Heat squad and made the most of his bulk, grabbing 7 rebounds including three offensive boards while chipping in with a steal, block and a number of other crucial hustle plays that didn’t show up in the box score.
Gordon Hayward: This was the best scoring performance of his season since November and one of his most efficient ones as well (10-of-14 FG). He also piled up the most free throw attempts since opening night. He has now scored 20-plus points in three straight games.
TWO DOWN
Second-quarter offense: Before making some much-needed adjustments at half, the C’s were stymied by the Miami 2-3 zone in the second quarter, going just 6-of-22 from the field during the frame and managing just 17 points after a red-hot first quarter.
Fouling: Miami is one of the best teams in the NBA at getting to the line and the C’s did not do a good job standing their ground in this one, sending them to the charity stripe 31 times, the seventh-most attempts all season for an opponent.
TOP PLAY
Marcus → Jaylen → Gordon pic.twitter.com/TzrEOCtzFw
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 29, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
This is easily the best road win of the year for Celtics: There has been a couple of notable road wins to this point (Dallas, Toronto) but those victories came without each team’s best player on the floor. The Heat didn’t have everyone on Tuesday night (Justise Winslow, Kendrick Nunn were out) but the C’s had the bigger absences in Tatum and Kanter. Given that the only other losses at home all season for Miami came against the Lakers and Clippers, the Celtics needed to bring the kitchen sink to pull this one out. Brad Stevens treated it like a playoff game with his rotations, got productive minutes from the second unit and rode the starters to victory. With Hayward and Brown thriving on a night where the backcourt struggled, this was a big confidence booster for what this team is capable of without one of its All-Stars on the floor. A 2-1 road trip without Tatum or Kanter is a successful one by any measure.
Daniel Theis thriving in starter-level minutes is an encouraging sign: After weeks of splitting minutes with Kanter, Brad Stevens has cut loose the German big man over the last three games with his parter in crime sidelined. Theis has responded with three of his best games of the year, giving scoring in double-digits for all three contests while playing over 30 minutes per game for the first time in his career. Theis has managed to stay on the floor despite being prone to foul trouble all year long and his finishing touch around the basket has been consistent as well (shooting over 60 percent in that stretch). Given how well he helps the C’s on the defensive end while anchoring the middle of Kanter, this was likely a sneak peek of what lies ahead for Boston in the postseason. With Theis earning just $5 million for this year and next, he’s still looking like one of the best bargain bigs in the league.