GAME 2 FINAL: Celtics 127, Heat 102 - 17-0 run, Tatum (27 points) give Boston split, home court

The Heat started out scorching hot, making 7 of their first 10 shots to led 18-8 to start the game ... and then ...

The Celtics took over like a tidal wave hitting South Beach.

They went on a 17-0 run that extended to 34-8 as they took complete command. The Heat made it interesting in the third, but the Celtics and Marcus Smart answered to make the last half of the fourth quarter looked like a G-League Game.

Celtics put up 35 points in each of the first 2 quarters and lead 70-45 heading into the half. They were shooting 63% from 3. Jayson Tatum had 20 in the first half, but the real difference was the defense with Smart and Al Horford back. The Heat never got comfortable.

Celtics shot 50 percent from 3 for the game, the Heat 29. Boston had 10 more makes from 3.

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ROUND 3, GAME 2 
(1) Miami Heat vs. (2) Boston Celtics
FTX Arena
8:30 PM - ESPN (Really, it’s 8:45)

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Boston: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams

Miami: Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, Bam Adebayo

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

- Al Horford has tested out of health and safety protocols. 

It’s hard to explain what happened to Horford. It might have been a false positive or it might have been something else. Whatever it was, it’s over. Horford will play in Game 2. 

In the end, it was a night off for Horford, which he probably needed anyway. If Boston comes away with the split, they’ll be fine. 

- Smart will play.

More Smart... Seems to be moving well pic.twitter.com/rVUXmDcqz7

— John Karalis 🇬🇷 🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) May 19, 2022

- Derrick White is out for personal reasons

 Congratulations to him on the impending birth of his first child.

- Kyle Lowry is still out with a hamstring issue. 

- Miami is favored by 2

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR 

1. Better offensive recognition: The Celtics have been a tick late, whether it’s been a pass, a drive, or a shot, on too many plays. They have to be more aware of not only who is guarding them defensively, but also who the help is and where their teammates are going to be. Plays against the Heat have to be made quickly, or else Miami is going to recover. Make the right plays early, and then Tatum can make the star plays later. 

2. A much better defensive effort: Horford and Smart are arguably Boston’s two best defenders. Now, I don’t want to get too technical here, but when it comes to defending Miami, having your two best defenders on the floor is better than not. 

But it’s not just about “Marcus Smart can stay in front of Jimmy Butler better.” This is about guys understanding what’s happening on the floor better, putting their teammates in better positions, being able to navigate screens, and adjusting on the fly to the Heat. I expect a more complete game. 

3. Some better luck. According to the Twitter account ShotQuality, which analyzes where shots came from on the floor and their expected results versus actual results, Miami far outshot their expected field goal percentage while Boston underperformed

Hey, this is the time of year guys raise their games, but some of the shots Butler was making were outrageous. The Heat hit some tough ones. Boston missed some easy ones. That can stabilize some. 

A LITTLE MORE

In the latest Locked On Celtics podcast, Tom Westerholm and I get into some of the mistakes the Celtics made in Game 1 and how they can be fixed.

GAME THREAD

Stick around for more comments below as the game goes on. Feel free to add your two cents in the comments.