‘Playing with fire’: Celtics alive in shot at playoffs history as Heat fall in Game 4, Tatum delivers

The Denver Nuggets have booked their spot within the NBA Finals however the Miami Heat should wait no less than a couple of extra days to get one other likelihood to affix them.

Up 3-0 and with an opportunity to comb the Celtics, the Heat as an alternative fell away late as a Jayson Tatum-inspired Boston staff surged to a 116-99 Game 4 win to maintain its season alive.

There was loads of strain on each Tatum and fellow Celtics co-star Jaylen Brown heading into Wednesday’s sport, with the pair taking pictures simply 7-for-40 from downtown and recording extra turnovers (23) than assists (21) within the collection.

Tatum although rose to the event when the Celtics wanted him most, scoring 34 factors to go together with 11 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, two blocks and 5 turnovers.

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He additionally shot 4-for-9 from downtown and whereas Brown struggled from deep, he nonetheless completed with a helpful 16 factors to go together with three rebounds, 4 assists, two steals and only one turnover.

“He put his fingerprints all over this game,” Reggie Miller stated of Tatum on TNT.

“With all the question marks over his performances in the fourth quarters in Games 1 and 3, he delivered.”

Al Horford, Derrick White and Grant Williams might not get the headlines however all three additionally made key buckets to maintain Boston within the sport earlier than Tatum took over late.

Jimmy Butler led the best way for Miami with 29 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 assists however the Heat’s 3-point taking pictures dropped off in a giant method within the defeat.

The Heat have been taking pictures 47.8 % from 3-point land within the collection however shot simply 26.7 per cent in Game 4, making simply eight photographs in comparison with 19 from Boston.

The collection now returns to Boston for Game 5 because the Celtics have a shot to doubtlessly make historical past and turn into the primary staff to recuperate from a 0-3 playoffs deficit.

The Celtics wanted to make a quick begin to try to take away the ability of the Miami crowd, which helped the Heat to a 128-102 blowout win in Game 3.

Boston did simply that — no less than briefly — leaping out to a 10-4 lead because the Celtics shared the ball round and made their first two 3-point makes an attempt of the evening.

Miami although was at all times going to rally again and sadly for Boston, it coincided with Tatum beginning to lose his method because the 25-year-old turned the ball over twice within the area of 20 seconds.

At that time the Heat had drawn stage at 12-12 halfway by way of the opening quarter earlier than pushing forward 22-15 as Gabe Vincent, Kevin Love and Max Strus all made some helpful photographs.

Boston’s offence seemed higher ready on Wednesday for what Miami’s defence would toss up however the Celtics’ shooters have been nonetheless lacking far too many stable alternatives from deep.

After Horford and White made the opening two makes an attempt of the sport, the Celtics went on to shoot simply 3-for-10 from downtown within the the rest of the quarter.

That noticed Miami take a 29-23 lead into the second, though Boston closed the primary quarter with three consecutive made free throws.

An aggressive Celtics staff was capable of then take a 37-34 lead early within the second, persevering with to drive in direction of the rim and open up drive-and-kick 3-point alternatives.

ESPN’s Tim Legler had urged Boston to get again to that type of offence earlier within the 12 months, suggesting the Celtics had in any other case turn into a bit too “dribble-heavy” with Tatum and Brown.

“The nights they’re really good the ball has gotten downhill into the paint and kicked out and now you’ve got teams chasing and the ball moves,” Legler stated on J.J. Redick’s podcast in March.

“That inside-out and around the horn type play, when they’re at their best and that was what they were doing at the beginning of the year, every night they were mesmerising us. They were clowning people with the way they were playing offensively.”

The Heat took a timeout at that time, with Kyle Lowry coming into the sport for Butler in what formed as a vital interval within the quarter for each Miami and Boston.

But as had been the case your complete collection, Miami’s undrafted and unheralded gamers stood up with Butler off the ground.

Caleb Martin and Vincent mixed to assist the Heat go up 43-42 because the Celtics referred to as a timeout with 5 minutes left within the quarter. The duo had 18 factors collectively on 7-for-9 taking pictures mixed.

Miami ended the half on a 13-6 run to take a 56-50 lead into the half, though by that time Boston was really taking pictures higher from deep as a staff (36.0 per cent versus 31.3 per cent).

It was White (11 factors), Horford (9 factors) and Williams (eight factors) who have been taking pictures significantly effectively from 3-point vary for Boston at that stage.

Tatum and Brown, alternatively, every had only one 3-pointer by the half and had solely mixed for 15 factors and 6 assists.

The Celtics desperately wanted a extra aggressive model of Tatum within the second half, though he considerably made up for it along with his hustle on the boards with seven defensive rebounds.

If there was one clear benefit for Miami on the half it was on the charity stripe, going 11-for-13 on free throws in comparison with simply 5-for-9 for Boston.

Butler solely had 9 factors on the half for the Heat, which all issues thought of was a superb factor contemplating they nonetheless had the lead.

Instead, it was Martin main all scorers for each groups off the bench with 14 factors whereas Vincent (11 factors) Bam Adebayo (10 factors) additionally had double figures.

It spoke to feedback from Malcolm Brogdon forward of Game 4, the place he instructed ESPN {that a} lack of clear id had damage Boston and helped Miami all through the collection.

While the Heat has embraced the contributions of their function gamers, the Celtics are speculated to be constructed across the celebrity duo of Tatum and Brown. The pair although had taken simply 13 photographs within the opening half.

“I think it’s teams that have a strong identity,” Brogdon stated.

“I think Miami is one of the teams, one of the few teams in the league — Miami, Denver, there are only a few of them — that have a really strong identity, and they play by it every single night. They’re super committed to it.

“And, for us, our identity has waned all year long. We’ve been trying to figure out who we are, because I think we’re such a great, talented scoring team, but when we don’t make shots, we got to rely on our defense, and our defense isn’t consistent every night.

“So, playing a team that’s very consistent and disciplined, we struggle.”

The Celtics struggled to open the third quarter too — however not for lengthy.

Boston fell additional behind 61-52 earlier than occurring a 16-0 run to re-take the lead because the staff upped its urgency and power on each ends.

Tatum hit back-to-back 3-pointers whereas aggressive drives into the rim and disruptive defence additionally helped get the offence going.

The Heat threatened to rally again into the competition however Tatum both scored or assisted on Boston’s final 12 factors of the quarter because the Celtics took a 88-79 lead into the fourth.

Miami once more seemed on the verge of a possible comeback because it scored the primary 4 factors of the quarter, just for Tatum to enter the sport and reply again once more straight away.

The Celtics then went on a 12-0 run with Tatum again on the ground whereas Miami briefly misplaced sharpshooter Vincent, who landed awkwardly on his ankle whereas trying a 3-point shot.

Vincent later returned to the sport as Miami dominated it only a “tweak” for the undrafted rotation participant however by the point he had returned it was Boston up 102-87 with 5 minutes left.

In the top Vincent was as effectively have rested, with the Celtics working up comfy winners.