NBA News: In-Game 2 of the East Finals, DPOY came up with one rebound short of a triple-double. Read the article for this NBA News.
The Boston Celtics took advantage of Marcus Smart and Al Horford’s return to dominate the Miami Heat from tip to finish in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night at FTX Arena, tying the series 1-1.
Smart, who returned from an injury that held him out of Game 1, was instrumental in the visitors’ triumph, as he came close to a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds, while also dominating on defense.
Boston’s triumph was built on their long-range shooting efficiency, as they made half of their 40 three-point attempts, including 10 of the first twelve.
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Miami led by as much as 10 points in the opening six minutes of the game, but Boston went on a 60-21 run in the 18 minutes leading up to halftime, giving the Celtics a 75-40 advantage, the greatest halftime lead as a visitor in the franchise’s postseason history.
Jayson Tatum, Boston’s standout player, led the winning side in scoring with 27 points; other notable scorers for Boston were Jaylen Brown (24 points) and Grant Williams (23 points) (19 points).
The one bright side to the Heat’s defeat was Jimmy Butler’s strong performance. Miami’s greatest player led the game in scoring with 29 points on 61.1 percent shooting from the field, but he could not prevent his team’s first home loss in the playoffs.
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After trailing by ten points early in the first quarter, the C’s outscored the Heat 35 points in the first half’s final 19 minutes. They led 70-45 at halftime, the greatest halftime advantage in club postseason history on the road.
Since Game 1 of the 1985 Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, they haven’t scored 70 points in the first half of an Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals game.
The Celtics wasted Game 1 with a dreadful third quarter, but this time there was no catastrophe. They won 127-102 to even the series at one game apiece.
The return of starters Marcus Smart and Al Horford, who both missed Game 1, provided some respite for Boston. Horford cleared health and safety requirements hours before the game on Thursday, while Smart returned after struggling with a right foot strain.
Due to the birth of his child, Smart’s starting guard Derrick White will miss Game 2. Kyle Lowry (hamstring) was out for the fourth consecutive game and the seventh time this postseason.
