BSJ Game Report: Celtics 116, Heat 99 - Celtics keep it together, keep season alive

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' Game 4 win over Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals, with BSJ insight and analysis. 

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics came out strong to start the game, but turnovers and cold shooting gave Miami a 6-point lead after 1. They retook the lead with a mid-second 11-1 run, but then went back and forth, letting Miami live at the line and even up the quarter. Boston went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter to take a 9-point lead, finally looking like their normal selves. They forced turnovers, got out in transition, and hit 3-pointers. The roll continued into the fourth, where Boston -- gasp! -- actually finished off the game. 

HEADLINES

Live by the 3: Boston finally got a good shooting night, hitting 40% of their 3-pointers (18-45) while Miami came back down to earth (8-32). Sometimes it’s just as simple as that. Every aspect of Boston’s game gets better when they're shooting well. 

Defense! Boston forced 16 turnovers for 27 points. They held Miami to 99 points. Boston’s defense actually showed up! 

“We were just playing Celtics basketball on the defensive end,” Marcus Smart said. “Everybody was helping one another. We were going to take it. Weren't leaving it up for grabs as much as we usually did and it showed tonight. That's just how we've got to continue to play.”

Jayson Tatum’s big game: Tatum had another big elimination game. 

He has not had a great playoffs, but there's something to be said about the way he plays when Boston can be eliminated.  

Grant Williams delivers: He had his ups and downs, and he obviously has been in and out of the rotation, so seeing him deliver in a big game was nice. 

“Grant comes in and adds to winning,” Jaylen Brown said. “When he plays composed and keeps his head, he can be a tremendous asset. Just gotta keep talking to him, keep letting him know where the game is at, keep telling him to make the plays, play within his role, and I think he did that tonight.”

TURNING POINT

With 8:27 to go in the third quarter, the Celtics were down 3 with the ball but running some disjointed offense. Joe Mazzulla burned a timeout to stop the play, something he never does, and drew up a play that got Derrick White a corner 3 to tie the game at 61 and trigger a 12-0 run. Boston never trailed after that timeout. 

“He just got us composed,” Brown said. “It looked like potentially we were in a bad spot, and he called a timeout. I thought that was a good decision.”

FOUR UP

Jayson Tatum: 25 of his 34 came in the second half when he took control of the game. He was 11-15 in the second half, 3-5 on 3-pointers, and he also dished 5 assists. He had 3 turnovers early on, but only 2 the rest of the way. 

Grant Williams: He was 4-6 on 3-pointers but incredibly he also had a straight-up block on Jimmy Butler in the second half. He also had 6 rebounds and 2 assists. I know it seems like benching him at any point of this series was probably a bad decision at this point, but maybe this can turn into a better late-than-never thing. 

“I think for me, it’s just a matter of maintaining perspective,” Williams said. “You never know what your role may be one night, so you just have to make sure you’re prepared for whatever that is, for your teammates. I think mentally this year, it allowed me to grow a lot in understanding that not only do you have to focus on the team throughout whatever’s going on, but now your own personal circumstance, you have to be prepared at any moment.”

Derrick White: Classic DWhite game with 16 points on 50% shooting, 3-7 from 3, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He also hit that game-changing shot. 

Joe Mazzulla: He pressed the right buttons in this game. Maybe the desperation of the potential elimination caused him to finally call some timeouts to stop runs. He called a couple of good ones that worked out pretty well. Hopefully this lesson didn’t come too late. 

ONE DOWN

Malcolm Brogdon: While he did start to do other things, Brogdon continues to struggle. He had just 2 points, though the 2 came on a nice putback off an offensive rebound. If Boston is going to pull off this miracle, they’ll need more from Brogdon moving forward.

TOP PLAYS

TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Game 5 will determine everything

If the Celtics can come back to Boston and control Game 5 from beginning to end, they will win this series. 

How’s THAT for a take I’ll probably regret later?

I’m not saying they’ll win the series if they win the game. But if they come out from the jump, control the pace and physicality from the beginning, and win easily, then I believe they will make the comeback. 

We’ll revisit this later, obviously. But as I’ve been saying, if there has to be a first team that comes back from down 3-0, this Boston team will be that team.

They have to handle Game 5, though, and do it well. They actually have an opportunity to make something special happen here. It’s an improbable run. The odds are heavily against them. But they actually have a legitimate shot. 

- I hope Mazzulla recognized the power of timeouts

I’m nowhere near everyone else when it comes to Mazzulla’s timeout usage. I think there's room for debate in some of these calls. 

But he called a pair in this game that I don’t think he normally would have and I think each one highlighted how much forcing some composure on his team helps in moments where things might spiral out of control. 

Next up: Game 5 is Thursday night in Boston at 8:30