Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 125-113 loss to the Heat with BSJ insight and analysis:
Box Score
Celtics collapse again in fourth quarter...again: Bam Adebayo scored a career-high 32 points to lead six different Heat players in double figures as Miami used a 26-6 fourth quarter run to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals and end the C’s season. Boston was in pole position yet again to force a Game 7 after opening the fourth quarter with a 8-2 run, but Miami had a counterpunch that the Celtics didn’t have the answer for in crunch time for the fourth time in this series — as their offense fell apart down the stretch, turning a tight game into a blowout late.
Jaylen Brown had a team-high 26 points for the Celtics while Jayson Tatum added 24 points and a career-high 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough for the C’s — who fell in love with the 3 ball that let them down in the second half (4-of-23). Meanwhile, Miami’s offense was in rhythm all night, shooting 56 percent from the field, 48 percent from 3. Miami opens up the NBA Finals on Wednesday night against the Lakers.
A defenseless performance: The Celtics were a top-5 defense all season long but the effort and discipline was lacking in this one against a well-oiled Miami scoring machine. The Heat picked the Celtics apart for much of the night by dishing out 30 assists on 45 field goals made while also getting to the free-throw line 26 times. Adebayo took his game to a different level late (11-of-15 FG, 10-of-11 FTs), while the Heat’s supporting cast all had their moments at various points of the game, whether it was Tyler Herro (19 points, 7 assists) off the bench or Duncan Robinson (5-of-7 from 3-point range). Some unlikely heroes also emerged (Andre Iguodala scored 15 points and was a plus-20), while the C’s got little from their bench (17 total points). Boston played like a team that wanted to win in a shootout rather than win with defense and it burned them late once their 3-point shooting dipped.
TURNING POINT
The Heat faced their biggest deficit of the evening when the C’s took a six-point lead three minutes into the fourth quarter and responded with a championship run, a 26-6 outburst fueled by Adebayo that was the knockout blow for the series.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum’s passing: The third-year forward struggled with his shot early but made up for it with his passing — dishing out eight assists in the first half alone, just one shy of his career-high. He finished with 11 total assists — a new career high.
Jaylen Brown: His fifth straight game shooting above 50 percent from the field and 3-point range. He deserved more shots in this series that he got.
TWO DOWN
Enes Kanter: The Heat didn’t let the big man off the hook defensively in Game 6, attacking him with 3-point shooters and in the pick-and-roll during his eight minutes, leaving him with a team-worst -11 despite posting 3 points and 4 rebounds.
Fourth quarter 3-point shooting: The Celtics got too reliant on the 3-ball in the final quarter and it came back to haunt them, as they attempted to match the Heat’s big scoring run. They went 2-of-14 from deep in the final frame, essentially shooting themselves out of the game in the second half of the fourth quarter.
TOP PLAY
JT SLAM pic.twitter.com/orY7iQplP3
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 28, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER