Thrilling 3-1!Adebayo slashed 25+17, Tatum slumped 5 of 14, Boshen retired injured, and the series ushered in a turning point!
Text: Lao Kan Kanqiu
Editor|Lao Kan Kanqiu
On April 30, Beijing time, the first round of the NBA playoffs continued, and the Boston Celtics went to Miami to challenge the Heat away, and the Celtics temporarily led 2-1. In the first G1 meeting, the Celtics beat the Heat by 20 points, but they lost to the opponent in the G2 game, and the whole team was sleepwalking defensively, and they also paid the price for despising the opponent. So, in the G3 battle, the serious Celtics once again beat the Heat almost powerless, breaking the doubts of the outside world, I have to say that it is even more difficult for the Heat team to create the 'Black Eight Miracle' again. Before the game, the well-known American media ESPN gave a winning rate prediction: the Celtics won 71.6%, and the Heat was 28.4%, and the scale of the winning rate returned to one-sided again.
Indeed, the strength of these two teams is not at the same level, and the reason why the Heat team was able to win the game in G2 was that in addition to the Celtics' rivals, the team's epic three-point shooting rate was the most critical point, and the 23 three-pointers were hit in the game, which also broke the highest record in the history of the Heat playoff team. And in fact, you can't expect the Celtics to be as lax defensively as G2 every game, and you can't expect the Heat to shoot that number of three-pointers in every game, so the direction of this series is almost a foregone conclusion, just hope that the Heat can play their resilience without Butler and Rozier.
In terms of injuries, the Celtics are all available, and the starting five are still Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Porzingis, while Butler, Rozier and Richardson continue to be absent on the Heat's side, and the starting lineup is: Herro, Martin, Hakes, Jovic and Adebayo.
At the beginning of the first quarter, Holiday made two fouls and made two free throws to take the lead for the Celtics, Jovic hit a three-point shot at the top of the arc and also colored, Herro held the ball into the restricted area, and scored 7 points in a row in the face of three defenders to pull the rod and throw it, scoring 7 points in a row The Heat opened the situation. White also hit a three-pointer on the wing, then broke through to a layup and hit a board, scoring eight consecutive points in response to Herro and directly stopping the Heat. After the timeout, White still couldn't stop it, chasing a three-pointer and hitting again, and the Celtics' lead reached double digits. Martin scored two points to stop the bleeding in time, and after Tatum shook Highsmith, the ultra-long three-pointer went up and down, and the first quarter ended, and the Celtics led the Heat by 10 points at 34-24.
The Celtics were 5-of-10 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in the first quarter, while the Heat missed their three-point shooting and the team was 2-of-9 from the free-throw line. Back in the second quarter, Adebayo singled Porzingis with the ball, made a quick stop and threw a small throw, Herro broke through the basket and was fanned by White's defensive hat, and then the Celtics fell into a scoring drought, and the Heat took the opportunity to play a 7-2 mini-climax, White hit two consecutive strong three-point shots to stop the decline. At the end of the quarter, Porzingis (KP) first broke through the center with his left foot, and then injured his right leg without confrontation, and had no choice but to leave the court and return to the locker room for inspection, and at halftime, the Heat trailed by 17 points at 36-53.
In the half, Tatum was 2-of-5 with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, Jaylen Brown was 2-of-9 with 6 points and 5 rebounds, White was 8-of-13 from the field and had 22 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks, Bam Adebayo was 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists on 6-of-12 shooting, and Herro had 12 points and 3 assists. At halftime, Celtic officially announced that Porzingis' right calf was tight and would not return to this game!
In the rematch, Brown received a pass from Tatum on the wing and hit a three-point shot against Herro, and the Celtics led to 22 points. White took off directly after receiving the ball in the middle, smashing the basketball into the basket with both hands in the face of the three-man defense, and then the same routine, White suddenly cut the basket, and after receiving the ball, he violently separated Adebayo with both hands, and then received the ball at the top of the arc for three points and then hit it, and the difference has expanded to 26 points. Bam Adebayo adjusted on the wing, and there were three big open points, and after the third quarter, the Celtics still led by 22 points at 81-59.
Today's Heat's offense was really crotch-pulling, with less than 60 points after the third quarter, and Adebayo scored more than 20 points alone. In the fourth quarter, Brown missed consecutive empty baskets, Tatum shook off the defense, and the free throw line stepped forward to glide violently to block Martin. Herro scored seven points in the fourth quarter with consecutive shots, and Bam Adebayo countered with a layup, and the Heat went on a 14-5 run to score 13 points in four minutes. Then Tatum shot back, Adebayo stepped forward and accidentally cushioned Tatum's foot, the referee reviewed and judged a first-degree malicious foul, Tatum hit both free throws, and the game was no longer suspenseful. In the end, the Celtics won 102-88 and led 3-1, but Boshen's injury does not know if it will be a turning point in this round and the series afterward.
In terms of statistics, on the Celtics' side, the double tanhua was sluggish, Tatum was 5 of 14, only scored 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, Jaylen Brown scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal, White exploded, 38 points and 4 rebounds, Holiday 11 points, Porzingis retired from injury, contributed 7 points and 3 rebounds, and on the Heat side, Herro scored 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, Adebayo contributed 25 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists, Martin scored 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Harks scored 9 points.