The Celtics held a charge by the Heat in the second half of Friday’s game and claimed victory with 111-104.The Celtics got contributions in the first quarter, as units led by Jaylen Brown spent most of the time building an eight-point advantage.Tyer Herro helped the Heat with 13 second-quarter points. But the Celtics maintained their eight-point lead, all thanks to 25 combined points between Brown and Tatum.
Third quarter got started by the Heat and they put together a 20-6 run and took one-point lead. The Celtics answered with a 20-6 run of their own that built their advantage back to 12.The Heat pushed their way back , but Jayson Tatum helped hold them at arm’s length down the stretch and the Celtics improved to 2-0. Brown was the best player on the floor for three quarters.
He scored in transition, beat Jimmy Butler off the dribble, cut backdoor for easy buckets, and buried two of his three 3-point attempts.The Tatum-Brown duo combined for 57 points . The Celtics have now beaten the Heat to start 2-0. Early returns for both Brown and Tatum after two games are deeply encouraging for the Celtics.The Heat defended but the Celtics finished with 19. Brown didn’t really get the ball ripped the way he did in the playoffs. Tatum, simply looks stronger and steadier.
Joe Mazzulla seemed to want the team to work through their issues in the second half. That bit him in the third quarter. The Heat took a one-point lead, bur the Celtics rallied just fine in the fourth when Mazzulla let them play through a Heat run.Joe Mazzulla told reporters after the game that he loves watching these guys just kind of figure it out. He added, “To me, it’s empowering them that I believe in them, and that they can execute and we can still get good looks” Tatum said that”Obviously you want to win every game you play, but some of these early games can be used for learning purposes later in the season,”.
By contrast, Erik Spoelstra called timeout immediately after the Celtics went on a little burst. They built their lead, thanks to a flurry of 3-pointers. Malcolm Brogdon helped the team by moving the ball and even collapsing the defense when he missed, which opened up opportunities for offensive rebounders. Brogdon grabbed three offensive boards in the third quarter during the Celtics’ big run, and all three resulted in baskets.The team will leave for Orlando on Saturday and will take on the Magic.
