{"id":5020,"date":"2024-04-25T13:21:30","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T13:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=5020"},"modified":"2024-04-25T13:21:30","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T13:21:30","slug":"nba-playoffs-miami-heat-torch-boston-celtics-to-even-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=5020","title":{"rendered":"NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat torch Boston Celtics to even series"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 53 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

The day before his short-handed Heat sought to even the score with the heavily favored Celtics, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra made an intriguing comment about his team\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

After being deluged by Boston\u2019s 3-point shooting in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series, Spoelstra said his team needed to do a better job of letting it fly in order to keep pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand the math of it,\u201d Spoelstra said, before adding, \u201cWe\u2019re not going to shoot 50 of them. That\u2019s not realistic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe 50 3-point shots wasn\u2019t quite realistic. But the upset-minded Heat did just fine with 43 attempts Wednesday night. And by finishing with a playoff franchise-record 23 treys, the Heat beat the Celtics 111-101 on the road in Game 2 to even the series at 1-1.<\/p>\n

The series moves to Miami for Game 3 on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The sheer nature of Wednesday\u2019s upset is one of the reasons Game 2\u2019s outcome was remarkable. Miami trailed by as much as 34 in Game 1, prompting many to believe that, without star wing Jimmy Butler or starter Terry Rozier, this would be a four-game sweep.<\/p>\n

Caleb Martin Photo Courtesy: USA Today<\/p>\n

Instead, the Heat became the first playoff team in the past 30 years to win by double digits despite being an underdog of 14 points or more.<\/p>\n

Jayson Tatum Photo Courtesy: USA Today<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been doubted a lot through our playoff runs, people saying we couldn\u2019t do a lot of stuff that we [eventually] did,\u201d said Miami big man Bam Adebayo, who had 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 10 boards. \u201cSo for me and my team, why lose belief now? Our backs are against the wall. Everybody\u2019s against us. So just use that as fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur guys believe we can win. So, let\u2019s make it mano a mano \u2014 a cage fight. Let\u2019s hoop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tyler Herro\u2019s Game 2 turnaround was the biggest. After scoring just 11 points on 13 shots in the opener, he had 24 points on 13 shots, including six 3-pointers, and added 14 assists (the second most in a game in Heat playoff history).<\/p>\n

Jaylen Brown Photo Courtesy: USA Today<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on how we look right now [in terms of injuries], he\u2019s going to be involved one way or another, and sometimes that\u2019s going to mean making the right play over and over and over again,\u201d Spoelstra said of Herro. \u201cAnd he made the right read repeatedly tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jayson Tatum Photo Courtesy: USA Today<\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s victory moved Spoelstra to 10-3 in his career in Game 2s after dropping the first game of a playoff series. Of those who have coached 10 such games, only Frank Vogel, who is 8-2 after a Game 1 loss, has a better winning percentage in NBA history.<\/p>\n

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said the natural adjustment after Miami\u2019s historic shooting performance would be to press up on the Heat\u2019s shooters more. But he cautioned against the notion of overcorrecting.<\/p>\n

Jayson Tatum Photo Courtesy: USA Today<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to find a balance, because a lot of those shooters are also good drivers and are good at getting downhill,\u201d Mazzulla said. \u201cWe have to find that balance of making sure we can close out appropriately so we don\u2019t open up the other side of that.\u201d<\/p>

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