The Boston Celtics rode the return of starters Marcus Smart and Al Horford on Thursday night, scoring 70 first half points on 59% shooting blowing out the Miami Heat 127-102 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. The best of seven series in now tied 1-1 and headed to Boston for the next two games.
After a Game 1 win by Miami where they outscored Boston by 25 in the third quarter, the Heat used an 8-0 run to take an early 10 point lead 18-8 on a Max Strus three-pointer. The Celtics then caught fire, hitting 9-11 from three-point territory in the opening 12 minutes. They took the lead for good on a Payton Pritchard shot from downtown 23-21, and led 35-24 at the end of one quarter. The second quarter was more of the same, as they continued to pour it on leading by as many as 27 and 70-45 at the halftime break. It was the largest road playoff halftime lead in franchise history. Jayson Tatum with 20 points, Jaylen Brown 15, Grant Williams 12, and Pritchard with 8 off the bench combined to score 55 of the 70. The C’s outscored the Heat 62-27 in the final 19:29 of the first half to take comfortable control.
After the lead went to 29 early in the third quarter, Jimmy Butler did what he could do to get Miami back in the game cutting it to 17 on two different occasions. Butler had 16 points in the period, but Boston ended on a 12-4 run to take the same lead they had at the break at 96-71. The Celtics were never challenged after that building their advantage to 34 in the fourth before pulling their starters, as they head back home with the series now even. It is the first playoff loss at home this season for the Heat (7-1).
Tatum led Boston in the win with 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Smart was huge after missing Game 1 (foot sprain), finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, and three steals. Brown also put in 24 points, adding eight rebounds and three assists. Grant Williams had 19 points, while both Horford and Pritchard also got into double figures with 10 points a piece. Horford was back after sitting out the opener in the NBA Health and Safety Protocols. The Celtics ended up 20-40 from three-point range, with 13 of those coming from Smart, Tatum, and Brown. Butler led all scorers in the Miami loss with 29 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Game 3 at TD Garden is set for 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
