On May 22, Beijing time, the East Final G3 began, the Heat hosted the Celtics, the final score was 128-102, the Heat beat the Celtics by 26 points at home, and the big score was 3-0 to get the match point! Throughout the fourth quarter, the double scouts sat on the bench, and the camera kept sweeping, which was very embarrassing. And the Celtics' pinch shot at Butler prompted the Heat to lose the draft and blossom more, Vincent 29 points + Dunro 22 points + Martin 18 points + Strus 10 points, even if Butler only scored 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Adebayo only shot 5 times (13 points), the Heat played the Celtics like a flower. After the game, Mazura personally admitted that the Celtics were out of control, Brown apologized and spoke his heart, and Butler's prediction came true.
In fact, as early as the end of G2, Boston media revealed that the atmosphere in the Celtics locker room was very wrong, and there were some behaviors of players accusing and questioning each other. After today's game, the reporter asked the Green Army coach Mazura if there were some problems within the team, as the team manager, whether he had lost control of the team, Mazura responded: "That's true, so I need to get better, I need to understand what the team needs." When pressed by reporters about why this happened, Mazura said: "I don't know. Speaking about the game, Mazura has been taking the initiative: "I didn't prepare them, I didn't define a clear squad, I didn't get them to execute their tactics, I didn't put them in the right mindset. The Celtic reporter lamented: Mazura will only apologize and take responsibility.
Brown was also asked by reporters after the game, and Brown's response was interesting: "Of course we can choose to pass the buck on each other, which is actually very embarrassing. Then Brown volunteered: "I don't know what to say at this time, we have disappointed everyone, let down the fans who have always supported us, it's a shame." Talking about the struggles with the Heat in this series, Brown stressed: "They've been above normal, they're in that state, I have to give them enough respect, we can't match their energy at all, it's frustrating." "In fact, Brown is a more rational and stable player in the Celtics team, but it is clear that in this series, Brown does not feel good, and sometimes directly out of the team's tactics, watching Tatum or Smart play strongly, the whole team is distracted.
Of course, Brown also said that the loss is the result of the whole team, and the responsibility should not be put on one person. And Brown believes that the team is not out yet, and still has to fight for honor with dignity and show their best side. Compared with Brown, the American media slammed Tatum after the game, Tatum's performance in the final quarter of the playoffs: 6.3 points per game in the first round, 8.2 points per game in the second round of the 76ers, 1.5 shots per game in the first three final games of the East Finals, 2.5 turnovers! O'Connor said he had information that the Celtics' locker room had fallen apart and they looked ready for the next trip, such as a vacation, or leaving. In addition, Horford is still tough, saying that we are the final four, and we have not been eliminated, and we have higher expectations.
Compared to the Celtics' loss of control, the Heat team cohesion is now at an unprecedented level! Adebayo has been stressing after the game: "Since the beginning of the play-offs, we have not been favored by the outside world, saying that our squad is not good, saying that we have a lot of lost drafts in the team and lack talent. In fact, they've been saying this about us for many years, and it gives us motivation, and we're going to win the championship now! Speaking about Vincent (29 points on 11-of-14 shooting) today, Adebayo said: "He's always been a reliable gentleman in our team, and he doesn't just score, we know he can provide energy from the defensive end. Coach Spoo was caught snickering during the game, and after the game, Spo said that the team is getting closer and closer to the goal, but must maintain a focused attitude and cannot relax until the task is completed.
In today's game, the Heat grabbed 35 rebounds, the Celtics 57, and the frontcourt rebounding ratio between the two sides reached 1-21, and the Celtics rebounded more, which just confirmed the fact that they couldn't shoot and score, and the 20 frontcourt rebounds gap also tied the NBA playoff record! In addition, the Heat became the first team in NBA history to win by 25 points as the No. 8 seed in the playoffs! The Heat have 13 fewer regular season wins than the Green Army, which also sets a record for a 3-0 lead in playoff history, with the largest gap between a regular season and an opponent! Last year, the Heat lost to the Celtics in the East finals, when Butler said we'll come back here next year and get it done! Unexpectedly, a year later, Butler's prediction came true, but the difference was that the Heat had a chance to sweep their opponents 4-0 at home!
In my opinion, this Heat team today is very similar to the Raptors of '19, Butler and Jr. are big hearts, playoff superstars, and around them are veteran Lowry, there are a large number of hard-working players. Looking forward to the continuation of the Black Eight miracle by the Heat, and looking forward to the Heat solving the battle in 2 days, the Celtics should have gone home a long time ago, if it weren't for Embiid and Rivers Sr., maybe they wouldn't be able to play the East Finals!