Exciting news for the Miami Heat – it seems the Boston Celtics won't be coming back to South Florida for quite a while. But here's the kicker – that's both good and bad for the Heat.
Derrick White was the man of the hour, scoring an impressive 38 points in Monday night's game, leading the Celtics to a commanding 102-88 victory over the Heat. This win gives Boston a 3-1 lead in their NBA playoff series, putting them in the driver's seat.
"I made a couple of shots early," said White, who was on fire with 15 of 26 from the field and 8 of 15 from beyond the arc. "That always helps. Once you make a couple, the basket looks huge."
Despite this victory, the Celtics suffered a setback with Kristaps Porzingis leaving the game in the first half due to a right calf injury. He left the arena in a walking boot as a precaution.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla expressed concern, saying, "I didn't see what happened."
Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, while Jaylen Brown chipped in 17 points and Jrue Holiday contributed 11.
Miami, on the other hand, struggled offensively once again. Bam Adebayo was a standout with 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin also put up decent numbers, scoring 19 and 18 points, respectively.
The Celtics have a chance to clinch the series in Game 5 at home on Wednesday. If they advance, they'll face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Despite the challenging situation, Adebayo remains optimistic, saying, "We're going into the lion's den. Everybody knows what's at stake. It's 3-1."
But with the injury to Porzingis and some on-court drama involving Adebayo and Tatum, there's added tension. Adebayo was called for a flagrant foul, and Horford received a technical foul for reacting.
The series' history favors Boston, as they've won all 28 times they've held a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series. The Heat will need to step up their game to avoid becoming another statistic.
Spoelstra remains hopeful, saying, "I know in my heart we have a game that's there. It's just a matter of the ball going in a few more times, and all of a sudden, it ignites."
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