Post Game - Celtics vs. Miami Heat - Thursday, January 25 (W)

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585258

From another perspective:


Heat drops fifth straight for first time since 2021. Takeaways from blowout home loss to Celtics

https://www.yahoo.com/news/heat-drops-fifth-straight-first-025615865.html

Miami Herald

Anthony Chiang
Thu, January 25, 2024 at 9:56 PM EST·6 min read




Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 143-110 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics (35-10) on the back end of a back-to-back set Thursday night at Kaseya Center to close its quick two-game homstand at 0-2. The Heat (24-21), which has lost five straight games, now hits the road for a matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon:

The Heat’s offense has been the problem for the last few weeks. But the defense was the issue against the Celtics, as the Heat now faces its longest losing streak in nearly three years.

The Heat is in the middle of its first five-game skid since dropping six straight games March 2021.

The Heat’s offense has been the primary reason behind its recent struggles, entering Thursday with the NBA’s 28th-ranked offensive rating and fifth-ranked defensive rating in January.

But the Heat’s problem on Thursday was on the defensive end.

The Heat scored more than 100 points for just the second time in the last six games, and shot 44.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent on threes while committing only five turnovers. The Heat still lost by more than 30 points.

That’s because the Celtics, which entered with the league’s third-ranked offensive rating for the season, put on an offensive clinic.

Boston totaled 143 points on 63.7 percent shooting from the field, 22-of-40 (55 percent) shooting from three-point range and 19-of-20 (95 percent) shooting from the foul line.

The Celtics’ 143 points are the third-most points the Heat has allowed in any game in franchise history.

The 33-point loss was also the Heat’s most lopsided defeat since a 34-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on May 24, 2021. It’s the Heat’s most lopsided home defeat since a 47-point loss to the Bucks on Dec. 29, 2020.

The Celtics’ offense set the tone from the start, scoring 42 points in the first quarter. That scoring surge continued in the second quarter, when the Celtics scored another 35 points.

The Celtics racked up 77 points on 64.3 percent shooting from the field, 11-of-22 (50 percent) shooting on threes and 12-of-12 shooting from the foul line while committing just five turnovers in the first two quarters to enter halftime with a 13-point lead.

That’s when it got ugly for the Heat, as the Celtics opened the third quarter on a 21-12 run to push its up lead up to 22 just five minutes into the period.

The Celtics scored 36 points in the third quarter to enter the fourth quarter with 113 points and a 23-point lead.

It marked just the fourth time in Heat history that it has allowed 113 or more points through three quarters.

The Celtics’ lead grew to as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter.

The Heat’s only lead of the night came at 2-0, as the Celtics led by double digits for most of the night.

Seven Celtics players finished with double-digit points, led by 26 points from Jayson Tatum.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each scored a team-high 19 points for the Heat. Jimmy Butler added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 shooting on threes.

While the Heat lost its five straight game on Thursday, the Celtics improved to an NBA-best 35-10 this season. The Heat and Celtics have met in the Eastern Conference finals in the last two years, but the two teams are going in opposite directions at the moment.

In his second game as a member of the Heat, Rozier was moved into the starting lineup.

The Heat played Rozier off the bench in his debut for Wednesday’s home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, giving him one game to acclimate himself before stepping into a starting role on Thursday.

Rozier opened Thursday’s game in a Heat starting lineup that also included Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo. It marked the Heat’s 25th different starting unit through the first 45 games of the season.

Rozier, who the Heat traded Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick to acquire on Tuesday, finished his second game in a Heat uniform with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 shooting on threes, two rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.

This new Heat starting unit faced a tough test in its first game together, as the Celtics’ starting lineup of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis is one of the best combinations in the NBA.

The Heat’s starting lineup featuring Rozier opened the game by falling in a 17-12 hole before coach Erik Spoelstra turned to the bench for the first time.

The start of the second half was worse.

The Celtics outscored the Heat’s starting lineup 23-15 to begin the third quarter before Spoelstra made his first substitution of the second half.

With Kevin Love and Jaime Jaquez unavailable for the Heat, the bench rotation remains a work in progress.

Love (stomach illness) and Jaquez (strained left groin) will be big parts of the bench rotation when they return.

But on Thursday, the Heat went with Caleb Martin, Thomas Bryant, Duncan Robinson and Josh Richardson off the bench before empying the bench late in the blowout loss.

Martin, Robinson and Richardson have been getting consistent minutes, but Bryant’s appearance was a rare one.

Thursday was Bryant’s seventh appearance in the last 19 games. It also marked the first time Bryant has logged double-digit minutes since playing 17 minutes in a Dec. 20 win over the Orlando Magic.

Bryant closed the loss with seven points, five rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes.

The All-Star slump continues. The last Heat player who started in the NBA All-Star Game is still Dwyane Wade and it came in 2016.

As expected, the Heat did not have a player voted into the 2024 NBA All-Star Game as a starter when they were announced Thursday night on TNT.

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard are the two Eastern Conference guards who were voted in as starters, with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid as the three East frontcourt players who made the cut. The All-Star starters were announced Thursday night on TNT.

The Heat’s top two candidates for the Feb. 18 All-Star Game, which will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, are Adebayo and Butler. Adebayo and Butler are both considered frontcourt players on the All-Star ballot.

The next question is: Will Adebayo and/or Butlermake this season’s All-Star Game as a reserve?

Head coaches will select the seven reserves from each conference, which will be announced on Feb. 1 on TNT. The seven reserve spots usually include three frontcourt players, two guards and two additional players regardless of position.

Thursday’s matchup against the Celtics marked the start of a week-long string of tough games.

Including Thursday’s contest against the Celtics, the Heat is in the middle of four straight games against teams with winning records.

The Heat’s next three games come against the Knicks in New York on Saturday, Phoenix Suns in Miami on Monday and Sacramento Kings in Miami on Wednesday.

Thursday’s loss dropped the Heat to 5-13 against teams that entered the day with a winning record.

From another perspective:

Part II:

https://hothothoops.com/2024/01/25/heat-cant-stop-celtics-scorching-hot-shooting-lose-143-110-and-drop-5th-straight/

Celtics-Heat takeaways: C's offense catches fire in statement win

https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-heat-takeaways-cs-offense-032011516.html

Justin Leger
Thu, Jan 25, 2024, 10:24 PM EST·5 min read




Celtics-Heat takeaways: C's offense catches fire in statement win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Three Key Storylines

Historic shooting night for Boston
Kristaps Porzingis exits with injury
Not-so-scary Terry Rozier

The Boston Celtics outlasted the Miami Heat in a high-scoring affair Thursday night to wrap up a perfect three-game road trip.

Boston set the tone out of the gate with 42 first-quarter points against its Eastern Conference rival, the most points scored in any quarter vs. Miami this season. It made 13 consecutive shots in nine minutes and shot 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) from the floor in the frame.

The C's hot shooting continued in the second quarter, and they finished the first half with 77 points (64.3 percent FG) to match their season-high. It's the most points they've ever scored in a first half against the Heat.

They crossed the 100-point threshold midway through the third and didn't look back, cruising to a 143-110 statement win at Kaseya Center. Seven Celtics players scored in double figures with now-five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum leading the way with a game-high 26 points.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro notched 19 points apiece for Miami. Jimmy Butler chipped in 17 as the Heat lost their fifth consecutive game.

The Celtics (35-10) will return home to host the Los Angeles Clippers (28-14) on Saturday night. First, here are three takeaways from Thursday's game.

Celtics shoot the lights out

This was perhaps the Celtics' best offensive performance of the season, which says a lot given how often they've pummeled opponents.

They were dominant from start to finish, following a 77-point first half with a 66-point second half against a usually-stout Heat defense. Four C's players (Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown) reached double-figure scoring in the first half. Jrue Holiday joined the group early in the third quarter, followed by Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard in the fourth. It's the 18th time this season that all five Boston starters have scored in double figures.



The Celtics finished 63.7 percent shooting from the floor to top their previous season-best of 56.8 percent. Putting that mark in perspective, the Indiana Pacers have the best shooting percentage in a game this season at 67.1 percent (vs. Atlanta on Jan. 12). The best a team has ever shot in a game is 70.7 percent by the San Antonio Spurs in 1983.

Boston shot 22-for-40 (55 percent) from 3-point range, just three 3-point makes shy of tying the franchise record. It became the first team in NBA history to have five players make three or more 3-pointers and three or more 2-pointers.

Kristaps Porzingis exits with injury

[My comment:]        

Porzingis has been red-hot as of late and making the case for his second All-Star nod. That trend continued in Thursday's game as the Celtics big man dropped 17 first-half points on 6-of-9 shooting, including the 3,000th field goal of his career.



He had 19 points before a devastating moment in the third quarter ended his night. Just before the midway point in the frame, Porzingis landed awkwardly after contesting a Bam Adebayo shot. He walked off the court with a limp and needed assistance as he left for the locker room.



Porzingis was held out for the remainder of the game with a left ankle sprain. The severity of the injury is unclear, but it's fair to assume Boston will be cautious with its prized offseason acquisition for the foreseeable future. Porzingis will play a critical role in the C's quest for Banner 18, so there's no need to rush him back into the lineup until he's back to 100 percent.

The good news is that Porzingis joined the Celtics bench in the fourth quarter and appeared in good spirits as he high-fived his teammates without an ice pack on his ankle. That seems to indicate the injury isn't as bad as it looked, but we'll know more in the coming days.

Not-so-scary Terry

Ex-Celtics guard Terry Rozier got the start in his second game for Miami since being traded by the Charlotte Hornets. As a consistent scoring threat, Rozier undoubtedly makes the Heat scarier offensively. Jaylen Brown admitted as much following the deal.

On Thursday though, "Scary Terry" was a non-factor against his former team. He ended up with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting (1-for-4 from 3), three assists, two rebounds, and a steal in 29 minutes. That followed a performance in which he scored nine points on 3-of-11 shooting in his Heat debut, so it seems he's still settling in with his new team down in South Beach.

The Heat will hope Rozier finds his groove sooner rather than later. They've now lost five consecutive games for the first time in three seasons.

Very happy for a 3-0 road trip which included B2B wins plus a shellacking tonight against the Heat.

In the process the Celtics destroyed Miami's zone defenses. This game was an offensive thing of beauty!

Loved every minute of the game, no worries and you just knew we were gonna bust it open, which we did. All of the starters played great, everyone of the starters can score at all 3 levels and defend multiple positions. Bench is really coming along. Luke stood out, he has been playing his best ball ever these last 10 games or so. He’s finding open spots to receive the ball and using all of his 7’2” frame to dunk strong. Loved seeing him with Horford, we have so much size now when we want it on the floor. The other guy that stood out was Pritch, he is constantly pushing the ball/pace and relentlessly gets after it on defense. He and Hauser are not just 3 point bombers, both are scoring in so many other ways now too. The stronger our bench plays and keeps producing, the more we will be one of those sum of the parts teams that plays together better than….you know what I mean.

Come on, Guys and Gal, the greatest part of the whole game was the camera pan to Pat Riley in the 2nd half.  If you could have a thought bubble above his head, it would read:  "Well, that trade ain't the answer!!"  Arms crossed, wishing Rozier was Magic.  Wishing Yabba-beyo was Kareem.  

While having a little fun at MIA's expense, this game tonight was about 10% for the most recent playoffs and 90% for Pat Riley all the way back to the 80's.  He's owned us.  He hates Boston almost as much as Magic does.  He's lived his whole life to be a Celtic killer.  

Of course we all know when it counts.  And Pat will have some time to infiltrate Rozier before then, maybe add another piece.  But Pat saw the writing on the wall last night.  Not this year.  I'll shut my mouth but I couldn't have asked for a better look on Pat's face last night.  

Saw some Bird-esque passing from Jaylen to Kornet a couple of times last night.  JB enjoys the assist challenge more than JT.  Just some great ball movement all around.  There was no time for MIA to go to zone.  That's how you deal with the zone.  Step back to the plays before it would show you and you'll see.  When you're moving the ball, driving the lane, bombing from 3-ville, hitting mid-range, the game plan for the opposition goes out the window and you just hope you don't run out of TO's before trying to give yourself any chance of getting back in the game.  

3rd Quarter finally went our way. The stat of rank by quarter for us was telling. 1st, 1st, 22nd, 20th, respectively.

Couldn't stand the national announcers.  They were so in the tank for MIA, it really was pathetic.  Reggie for sure.  Yours is coming Tuesday in Boston for your old team.  You think MIA upgraded to topple the Celtics?  Let's put you on the front row Tuesday and watch how we dismantle your upgrade Siakim.  Just ask KD.  

Spectacular game.  I'm speechless.  Bench stepped up as well.  Kornet, Pritchard, et al.  Even Svi hitting a couple of 3's in garbage time.  Bigger game now on the horizon Saturday especially with KP uncertain.  Might not need him again.  LAC looking for revenge after we beat them to a pulp sans Leonard and us sans KP I think.  Can we have a Lather. Rinse. Repeat Saturday, please? With LAC at full tilt?

Rest up.  

db

That game was MAHVELOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No problems with anyone, everyone had a good time and do not tell me last year was not in the back of their mind. Ok, on to the next game

That game was MAHVELOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No problems with anyone, everyone had a good time and do not tell me last year was not in the back of their mind.  Ok, on to the next game

This was only the third game that I was able to watch this season. Wow, with KP on the floor, this team I believe is unstoppable. He was amazing to watch, so smooth and his release is quick. His foot work before he catches the ball is fantastic . The rest of the team seems to be playing team ball and everyone had their hands in this one. Too bad KP is so fragile as he is spectacular to watch. I am by no means taking anything away from the other players, but he is different than any one who has played for the Celtics.

Pete

Bob Heckler will be going nuts that he has missed KP playing at such a high level. He has waited for years to see him in green. Oh well Bob we will enjoy it for you

Let’s not drop the ball, keep it going.

Rosalie,

I thought he was amazing, as was the rest of the team. This could be a year to remember!

Hope all is well,

Pete

The ball movement was next level.  We have seen games with good ball movement before but last night there were negligible segments when the ball was not moving.

Were are being blessed with some of the best Celtics TEAM basketball in years. These guys love playing with each other and that inner joy shows and shows up in unselfish ball movement. What fun!

worcester,

That's the difference. While other "teams" are trying to figure out who the leader is or whose "team" it is, we're rolling it out for all the NBA World to see. Of course, they are missing it.

It's all about ball movement, inside/out, outside/in, mid-range, player movement. That was a spectacular game and the 2 X 4 blow was delivered squarely into the face of Eric Spoelstra for the playoffs last year and Pat Riley all the way back to the 80's. Believe that those two are staying up into the wee hours trying to figure ways to knock Boston off its perch. They did it again in last year's playoffs. We helped but they finished us off. The 80's were, well, the 80's. We know the numbers...1-2 & 3-5. Pat Riley is the common denominator.

For the time being, we've put MIA/Pat Riley in the cooler. But make no mistake, they aren't done.

db