Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) shoots to the hoop against the mark of Luke Kornet, of the Boston Celtics, in the game held on January 24, 2023 in Miami.
The Heat, despite not playing with Jimmy Butler due to back discomfort, sought to take advantage of the absence of five of Boston’s main players on Tuesday to win at Miami-Dade Arena.
The Celtics were without Malcolm Brogdon (personal reasons), Jaylen Brown (adductor rest), Danilo Gallinari (knee), Al Horford (lower back), Marcus Smart (ankle), but they had other plans.
The truth is that it turned out to be an emotional encounter in which the Miami team, with a 15-0 rally in the last quarter, took a spectacular 98-95 victory against the current leaders of the Eastern Conference, to the disappointment of the great green fans who gathered at the Miami venue.
In this way, the Heat (27-22) reaffirmed themselves in 6th place in the East, got their second win in a row and tied the series 2-2 against the Celtics, before hosting the Magic this Friday with which they close the stay from three games at home.
The key was undoubtedly the defense of the Sun Capital quintet, mainly in the fourth quarter in which they limited Boston to just 13 points.
Of course, it would have been useless if Bam Adebayo had not increased his figure as he did with a great double-double of 30 cards and 15 rebounds, in addition to becoming master of the paint by building a true wall towards the hoop.
“We got going in the third and fourth quarters,” said Adebayo. “The coach asks the team to give me the ball and I’m just taking my chance.”
The Miami player emerges as one of the best centers in the NBA and certainly deserves an All-Star berth.
“It’s not my nature to go out there and campaign,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I just think he’s an All-Star and he excelled at it tonight. It’s a great win and it was on TV so I hope people notice.”
This time he had help under the boards, with 10 good rebounds, from Haywood Highsmith, who also finished with 15 points (4-4 on triples).
Max Strus was another spark plug with 13 cards, all in the first quarter. While Victor Oladipo, who was the man in the third set, finished with 12.
Meanwhile, Tyler Herro finished with nine points and six assists, but his five points in the fourth quarter came at the key moment, including his only 3-pointer of the game.
It is curious that the Heat won with just a 36.2 percent accuracy rate from the field, the point is that they shot 20 times more than the Celtics and improved from 3-pointers (36.4%).
“If we have an ugly win, so be it,” Spoelstra said after the win.
For Boston, Jayson Tatum stood out with 31 points, Derrick White with 23, Robert Williams with 11 and Great Willians and Payton Pritchard each scored 10.
Match
The Celtics took the disputed first half 58-50 after a final rally of 8-0 with a good defense and 21 points from Tatum and 13 from White, in two quarters with mixed luck, with 16 lead changes and 10 draws.
Miami prevailed in the first 32-30 playing very well with 13 Strus cards and great intensity without Butler against the Celtics led by Tatum with another 13.
Such was the equality that there were seven exchanges at the top and five draws, although the locals had the last laugh in the set.
The second was another fight in which Boston eventually prevailed 28-18 to take command after reaching the final two minutes tied at 50.
The Heat suffered an offensive collapse with only one triple and six baskets in the quarter, in addition to allowing the final run and going to rest with the biggest deficit in the game.
The Celtics extended their advantage to 14 points at the beginning of the third quarter and Miami had a hard time and helped reduce the difference to five, which they achieved thanks to Adebayo’s 12 and Oladipo’s 8.
But Tatum closed with two free throws, scored 31 points and Boston finished ahead 82-75, despite Miami winning the quarter 25-24.
The Heat got back within five early in the fourth quarter, despite shooting below 33 percent, when the Celtics retaliated and increased it to 10.
But Adebayo with a great dunk closed a 10-0 run to tie the game at 87 with 5:44 left.
The rally ended 15-0 with the great defense of Miami and the baskets of Adebayo and Herro (from three) when Spoelstra incomprehensibly called time.
Tatum broke the losing streak and attacked Boston to one, Herro extended it to three and Grant Willams with a triple tied it at 95, but Adebayo with 20 seconds gave the Heat a lead that was final.
Miami took the quarter 23-13 with Highsmith’s free kick and with himself concluded the spectacular comeback that gave the Sun Capital quintet an important victory.
This story was originally published on January 24, 2023 10:30 p.m.
Pedro González is an experienced reporter who has covered the Miami Heat, the NBA, the Miami Open, judo, the Miami Dolphins, Inter Miami and all international soccer for more than 15 years.
