Everything you need to know about the Celtics' win over the Heat, with BSJ insight and analysis.
IN A NUTSHELL
The Celtics came out sluggish and fell behind by 19, but Anfernee Simons got hot to cut it to 11 after 12 minutes. They snipped one off that at halftime, and it stayed at 10 thanks in large part to Simons and second chances. Simons saved the best for last, pouring in 18 in the fourth to complete Boston’s comeback.
HEADLINES
- Holy Simons! His 39 points off the bench were a team record, and he was there every step of the way as the starters flubbed and fumbled their way through the game. The start to this game was beyond awful, but Simons came in and settled things down every time he checked in.
SIMONS bringing that fire to the heat 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xRVoSYC9TB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 16, 2026
- Second chances: Boston won the second chance points 31-7, thanks to Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, and others crashing the boards. A lot of what Simons was able to do was because of second-chance opportunities.
- A clutch win: Hey, the Celtics came back, made plays, and closed a team out in the clutch! They didn’t turn it over at all in the fourth, they grabbed four offensive rebounds, and they went a perfect 8-8 from the line. This ended up being their second-biggest comeback of the season, and fourth-biggest of the Joe Mazzulla era.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics out-scored the Heat 19-7 to start the fourth quarter and take a lead for the first time since 4-3 early in the first quarter.
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