Jayson Tatum’s impressive performance led the Boston Celtics to a convincing 104-84 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, giving the Celtics a 2-1 series lead and regaining home-court advantage.
Tatum contributed 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, showcasing his all-around game to propel the Celtics to a crucial victory. He was well-supported by Jaylen Brown, who also contributed 22 points and eight rebounds.
Coach Joe Mazzulla attributed the Celtics’ success to their intensity and physicality, emphasizing the importance of dictating the tempo of the game under pressure and adversity.
Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points, while Derrick White chipped in 16 points, contributing to the balanced scoring effort for the Celtics.
Despite Jrue Holiday’s limited scoring output (three points), he made a significant impact with his playmaking and defensive contributions, finishing with a game-high plus-23 rating.
On the other side, the injury-depleted Miami Heat struggled to generate offense without key players like Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 20 points and nine rebounds, but Miami couldn’t overcome Boston’s stifling defense.
The Celtics set the tone early with their tenacious defense, holding Miami to just 12 points in the first quarter on 23.8 percent shooting.
Boston continued their dominance in the second quarter, shooting a scorching 65.2 percent from the floor and building a comfortable lead that they never relinquished.
By the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had established an insurmountable 87-61 lead, allowing them to cruise to victory in the fourth quarter.
Overall, Boston’s strong defensive effort and balanced scoring proved too much for Miami to handle, with the Celtics shooting 47.6 percent from the field compared to Miami’s 41.6 percent.
Looking ahead to Game 4, the Celtics will aim to maintain their momentum and secure another road win in Miami, while the Heat will need to regroup and find ways to counter Boston’s physicality and defensive intensity to even the series.
