BSJ Game Report: Celtics 134, Heat 121 - Celtics offense mows through Heat zone for 5th straight win

Everything you need to know about the Celtics 134-121 win over the Miami Heat, with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics stormed out with a monster run and it looked like the Heat, missing Jimmy Butler, were just chum in the water for the sharks wearing green. But Miami answered with a monster run of its own and it was a battle the rest of the way. Jayson Tatum carried the load for Boston with 49 points and the C’s overcame Miami’s best offensive game of the season to pull away late and win 134-121.

Box Score

HEADLINES

Epic shootout: Tatum finally had his shot dialed in, hitting 8-12 from 3. The Heat got monster shooting up and down the roster (5-10 from Max Strus, 4-6 from Haywood Highsmith, 2-4 from Gabe Vincent, 2-5 from Caleb Martin). 

Stepping up down the stretch: The Heat finally cooled off in the fourth, shooting 2-7 from deep while the Celtics shot 5-8. Tatum and Jaylen Brown were both able to get to the rim and the free throw line to hold off Miami.

“We’re versatile, can do a lot of different things,” Derrick White said after the game. “Defense is what we held our hat on last year and we have the same guys so we have a lot of confidence on that end, and just have to step up and get stops.”

Defense needs a lot of work: The Celtics are an offense-first team now, which is fine. They're also getting Robert Williams back soon, so that's going to help. And I know we’ve said this a million times already this season, but the defense is still a work in progress that needs to improve to get to where Boston wants to be. 

“I'd say there are 35 points that we can control that we have to take away,” Joe Mazzulla said. “I'd say there's about 40 or 50 points that you're willing to live with that they executed. The rest you have to do a better job on the physicality or the staff has to do a better job with adjustments.”

TURNING POINT

It was a three point game, 118-115, when Al Horford hit a 3-pointer with 5:08 left. Boston outscored Miami 16-6 the rest of the way. Brown and Tatum took turns building the Celtics lead. 

FOUR UP

Jayson Tatum: 49 points on 25 shots is an efficient night, and Tatum just continues to find ways to put up big scoring nights without hijacking the offense. 

“I feel like that’s how it’s been most of the season. I think that’s kind of how we play,” he said after the game. “And they were in zone so that kind of led to a lot of two-on-one actions, finding open man, just being in the right spot, especially in the first couple of minutes of the game, just shooting in rhythm.”

The biggest part of Tatum’s outburst is the 8-12 shooting. Some may wonder when this offense will come back down to earth shooting-wise, but Tatum hasn’t been shooting well from deep yet this season. If some guys level off, Tatum and Brown have room to level up.

Jaylen Brown: he was in foul trouble so he only played 28 minutes, but he was able to put up 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He did have 6 turnovers, but only 2 of those were live balls where he coughed it up. He had 3 offensive fouls and he stepped out of bounds as well, which are obviously still not good because they cost possessions, but they are also not leading directly to transition opportunities. 

Malcolm Brogdon: Whenever the Celtics needed a big-time bucket to quell a run, it felt like Brogdon was there to make it happen. The beauty of Brogdon is that he can be whatever the Celtics need him to be in a game. Sometimes that means getting assists, but sometimes that means scoring. He did the scoring thing in this one, putting up 21 points Boston needed to stay even with a Heat bench that played way above their heads. 

Derrick White: He’s a real luxury for this team because he can be counted on as a primary ball handler but he now he’s also a spot-up guy. He gave the Celtics a big spark at the top of the third quarter, and finished with 15 points and 5 assists. 

TWO DOWN

Grant Williams: The slump rolls on. It’s not that he played terribly -- he actually had another diving play that led to a key alley oop. But he shot 1-4, so he needs to get going.

Sam Hauser: This is a tough matchup for Hauser, who played 8 minutes and missed a couple of 3-pointers. He has room to grow, and being able to play against more athletic wings is going to be a big step for him. 

TOP PLAYS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- The Celtics saw a ton of zone and actually figured a lot of it out

Miami is a tough team to face because they can junk games up. They can not only throw a zone out against you, they will throw different types. They played some standard zone looks, a little box-and-1 to hound Tatum, and the Celtics were able to still put up 134 points on 83 field goal attempts. 

Tatum had something to do with that.

“Miami is a team that crowds the paint, that wants you to shoot the ball, that wants you to shoot contested 3s” Brogdon said. “When you can shoot it at such a high level like him, and shoot over people, the world is your oyster against Miami. Because if he shoots the 3, they got to step out. He can drive the ball and get to the rim, he really can score at all three levels.”

Zone has killed the Celtics in the past, but this year might be their most equipped roster for blowing that out of the water. Brogdon, White, Smart, Horford, and Brown all operate well in the middle of the paint. All of them are smart enough to make the right play. And with the level of trust this team has in one another, they're able to play off one another. 

“I think that’s what we’ve done a really good job of this season, of talking through things, implement them in the game at night time,” Tatum said. “The coaching staff really prepares us well and just don’t stand in one spot, don’t hold the ball too long. Those are kind of the fundamental points of our offense. Stay on the move, pass up a good shot for a great shot, regardless of if they’re in man or zone. And everybody knows that. So whatever the lineup, whatever the time is, that’s just what we try to go out there and do.”

I’m hesitant to say their issues with the zone are gone for good, but it sure looks like this is going to be a team that's damn near impossible to defend right now. If all Erik Spoelstra’s zone tricks can’t slow this offense down, then it’s getting harder to believe a team will be able to do it four straight games when the playoffs roll around.