While the basketball world still remained in mourning with the loss of Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others on Sunday in a tragic helicopter crash the games went on in the NBA Tuesday night. At American Airlines Arena in Miami, Gordon Hayward scored 29 points and Jaylen Brown had 25 to lead the Boston Celtics to a big road win over a very good Miami Heat team 109-101.
The Celtics (31-15) played without Jayson Tatum, but all five starters got into double figures. Boston scored the first eight points on a Marcus Smart three-pointer, a Hayward shot, and a three by Brown. The guests led by as many as 13 in the opening 12 minutes on a Brown drive and finger roll and led by eight headed to the second. Miami took their first lead of the night when Derrick Jones Jr. hit a layup with 7:46 left before the break. The Heat (32-15) led by only as many as two. Boston responded and took back the lead for the rest of the night, taking a 53-48 advantage into halftime.
The Celtics took an eight point lead on three different occasions in the third quarter on jumpers by Brown and Hayward and a dunk by Daniel Theis. Boston took an 80-76 lead to the final 12 minutes. The visitors extended the lead to 11 with 7:39 left on a Smart three-pointer, and the Heat never got closer than five the rest of the way. The Celts hit 5-6 from the foul line in the last 1:22 to help ice the win, and bounce back after a disappointing loss on the road at New Orleans Sunday evening. The home loss was only the third this season for Miami at American Airlines Arena.
Hayward added nine rebounds to his game high point total in the Boston win. Brown added five assists. Kemba Walker went for 16 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. Smart had 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Theis also got into double figures with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Hayward, Brown, Walker, and Smart combined to hit 11 of the 13 made three-pointers on the night for the green. Goran Dragic led six players in double figures with 23 points, four assists, and two steals in the Miami loss. Jimmy Butler had 20 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Also getting into double figures for the Heat were Bam Adebayo 16 points, Duncan Robinson 12, Dion Waiters 11, and Jones Jr. with 10 points. The Celtics will host the Golden State Warriors (10-38) on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
