Twenty-one seconds. This is the period during which the Heat will not have been behind on Sunday at TD Garden. The first 21 seconds of Game 1 were the only respite for Erik Spoelstra's squad. The Celtics were merciless in front of an overheated public with a dreamy first three minutes, ending with a 14-0. Perfectly launched with a 7/9 shooting, the locals experienced a slight decompression time after five minutes and the exit of Jayson Tatum. Joe Mazzulla's players used, and sometimes even abused, the long shot (6/18 after 12 minutes!) allowing the Miami bench to achieve a close, +5 after one quarter.
But by insisting on every little space left by the Heat behind the arc, the Celtics allowed Sam Hauser to adjust the sights before catching fire: four 3-point baskets in three minutes! After scoring 26 points during the first act, Boston scored 22 in the first five minutes of the second quarter, culminating in a 9-0 run. Clinics to make the Floridians pay for their slightest error on a lost ball or offensive rebound, the Celtics this time no longer released the pressure.
A maximum difference of +34
Leading 60-45 at rest, the number one in the East continued his festival from afar to crush his opponent. Combative in the first period, the Heat looked like what one might fear from a team without Jimmy Butler Or Terry Rozier. Jaime Jaquez Jr (16 points) tried to take over offensively but the rookie was far too alone. Jaylen Brown And Derrick Whiteuntil then rather discreet offensively, in turn passed ten points with two long shots in the third quarter to put an end to the meager suspense.
The final quarter at least confirmed the Heat's resilience, not the type to throw in the towel. Miami, with a Delon Wright incandescent at 5/5 on shots, finally found a little success from afar to prevent the lone rider of Boston. Too easy, even lax, the Celtics played to give themselves scares, seeing their gap melt from 34 to 13 units.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Celtics unstoppable from afar. Seeing Boston make the difference with the quality of its shooters is no surprise. Seeing Miami unable to limit the rain of 3-point shots from the Celtics is much more so. They finished at 22/49, with more than half of their shots made this Sunday behind the arc. Four winners for Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Kristaps Porzingis, each player with at least one success… A demonstration.
– From Herro to zero. Determinant in the Heat's qualifying match against Chicago, Tyler Herro showed a completely different face in Massachusetts. The Miami guard disappeared, entangled in the Celtics defense. He finished with 11 small points, 4/13 shooting. It's hard to see how Miami can hope for anything without more contribution from its best outside scorer. The contrast with Bam Adebayo (24 points at 10-18) and perhaps even more with Jayson Tatum, in triple-double opposite, is all the more striking.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
