It starts strong. The Heat started strong in the first quarter and quickly took a 10-point lead (18-8). But the Celtics are quick to react: after a restorative time-out, Ime Udoka’s men finally start their match and stick a 27-6 (including a violent 17-0) to those of Erik Spoelstra! The craziest? The insolent outside address of the Celtics, who sign a 9/11! After the first 12 minutes, the Heat are already sounded, despite a start to the match which suggested the opposite (35-24).
the momentum then clearly in favor of Boston, the situation worsens for Miami during the second quarter. The bombardment behind the C’s arc is suddenly less effective, but the C’s compensate by pounding near the circle.
While the Heat players, disoriented by the solid defense of their opponents, sadly tangle their brushes in attack (21 points, 9/20 on shots). Under the impetus of the duo Jayson Tatum – Jaylen Brown, who gained momentum and compiled 35 points in the first half, the gap exploded: +25 at the break!
With such a gap at halftime, it’s hard to expect a sensational rebound in the second half.
And there was indeed nothing to report on the return from the locker room, with a second half which generally comes down to a long “garbage time” of 24 minutes… Jimmy Butler floats in this meeting for the Heat, reducing the gap at +17 but Boston, with a much better distributed mark, continues to strike multiple and varied blows. The Celtics quietly stalled their lead, and even increased the gap to +34 at the end of the game.
The benches empty to complete this embarrassing Game 2 for the Heat players, who take a very big slap (127-102), and lose for the first time in these playoffs at home. Abused in the first game, the Celtics sign an authoritarian reaction and equalize with style. The troupe of Ime Udoka is full of confidence before returning to Boston to play the next two games of the series.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– PJ Tucker’s injury exit. Hit in the left knee, the strong winger left during the third quarter of the match, and did not come back into play. Like his team, he was in difficulty before joining the locker room (5 points at 2/6 on shots). Its presence for Game 3 is not yet defined, But he’s going to have an MRI tomorrow., to determine the severity of the injury. If he were to miss that third inning in Boston, it would be a blow to the Heat, who would face Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown without their primary defensive stopper.
– Boston transformed by the returns of Marcus Smart and Al Horford. Reduced in Game 1, since the two players were absent, the Celtics presented a much better face during this second game. The first in particular has made a resounding comeback: with 24 points (8/22), 9 rebounds and 12 assists, he is close to a triple-double and has really hurt the Heat in many ways. The second, a little less prominent from an accounting point of view, greatly relieved his team, both in attack and defense, with his experience and his always impeccable game intelligence. He compiled 10 points, 4/4 on shots, with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
– The Celtics’ incredible first quarter. Badly embarked in the first minutes, especially against a well-legged Jimmy Butler, the Celtics nevertheless managed to practically seal the outcome of the match in the first quarter. Thanks to this incredible pass after Ime Udoka’s first time-out, during which they passed a 27-6 to the Heat’s defense, including a completely lunar 9/11 3-pointer, Jayson Tatum’s teammates overthrew the course of the game. And the locals never recovered.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Marcus Smart. The return of the team’s soul changed everything for the Celtics. By slowing down Jimmy Butler in defense, directing the game in attack and making important baskets to ward off any idea of ​​a comeback in the second half. He misses more simple stuff than complicated stuff, but his impact is enormous.
✅ Jayson Tatum. His second half in Game 1 left something to be desired, and his reaction in Game 2 would be closely scrutinized. Unsurprisingly, the Celtics star assured. He scored 27 points at 8/13 on shots (4/6 on three-pointers, 7/7 on free throws), and added 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
✅ Grant Williams. The Game 7 hero against Milwaukee was in great shape. Off the bench, he once again proved valuable, with 19 points (5/7 on shots, 2/2 on three-pointers) and 4 rebounds. He finished the match with an impressive +/- of +37, the second best on his team (after Payton Pritchard, at +39).
✅ The Celtics’ 3-point address. 9/11 at the end of the first quarter, 15/29 after three quarters, 20/40 at the end of the match. The Celtics torpedoed the Heat behind the arc, and that’s the main reason for this blowout. Brilliant in defense, the Celtics are very difficult to maneuver when they are in a great evening of address.
✅ Jimmy Butler. The Heat winger did not deserve during this Game 2: 29 points (11/18), 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Despite his club’s heavy defeat, he adds another high quality performance to his impressive 2022 playoff campaign.
â›” Bam Adebayo. The other Miami All-Star has to settle for 6 points and 9 rebounds (3/6 shooting) in Game 2, with only one free throw attempted (and missed). A lack of offensive impact which inevitably poses a problem, especially since the Heat seem to have put away their systems for the interior.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 3: in Boston, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, at 02:30.
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