Celtics

MIAMI (AP) Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Jayson Tatum added 22 and the Boston Celtics moved to the brink of a berth in the NBA Finals, running away after ...

Heat: Max Strus was 0 for 9, Kyle Lowry was 0 for 6, and the Heat starting guards are a combined 1 for 28 in their last two games. ... White and Robert Williams III were a combined 7 for 8 in the first half, while the rest of their teammates were a combined 6 for 26. ... It was the third-lowest point total of the season for the Heat (78 vs. And the series. Boston outscored Miami 32-16 in the third quarter, holding the Heat to 17% shooting. Miami led 19-17 after one and 42-37 at the break. The Celtics haven't reached the NBA Finals since 2010. ''In the first half it was tough because we weren't hitting shots and we were turning the ball over,'' Horford said. The turnaround was 59-58 Boston to 83-60 Boston. Game 6 is in Boston on Friday night, where a pair of trophies bearing the names of Celtics legends will be waiting. The Heat were 7 for 45 from 3-point range. They believe their defense, as has been the case time and again in these playoffs, will eventually wear down teams.

Boston's dominance in a gritty victory all but ensured the Eastern Conference Finals will end in its return to TD Garden.

Miami had 26 points in the paint. In the second half, the Celtics blew it open. He had a team-high 13 points in the fourth. It had nine offensive rebounds, giving the Heat a 26–21 edge overall. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Tyler Herro, is out with a groin injury. The Heat’s offense is a wreck. He had six points in the third quarter. It sliced the turnovers in half. It outscored Miami 32–16 in the third quarter. It was 42–37 Heat at the half. It was 19–17 Miami after the first quarter. If it was a movie, it would have won a Razzie. ESPN would have been forgiven for cutting into the game for special coverage of Tom Brady’s (alleged) golf shot.

Jaylen Brown was the face of the Celtics' turnaround Wednesday night as they beat the Heat to put themselves on the brink of advancing to the NBA Finals.

Getting on to Boston and figuring that out collectively, those are the emotions and the breakthroughs that you have that you remember the rest of your life. Brown and Tatum certainly did so in the second half. The job's just not finished yet." It was unclear whether Boston was going to be able to actually follow through on Brown's instructions after yet another ugly stretch of basketball in this series for the Celtics in the first half of Game 5. It was a game that, like the rest of this series, will never be called pretty. Its starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Max Strus combined to go 0-for-15 from the field and 0-for-12 from 3-point range for the game. "Same player," Brown said from the first half to the second. As the game wears on, some of that energy, some of that intensity starts to wear off, so the game opens up a little bit. While Tatum and Brown were combining to go 10-for-33 in the first half, and the Celtics were throwing the ball around, Miami couldn't hit anything, either. [Just] come out, play basketball in the second half." I didn't want to look into the past, think that this game was over. "We weren't playing our best, in a lot of ways," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said.

MIAMI — The Celtics will be at just about full health for their crucial Game 5 against the Heat on Wednesday. Both Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III are ...

Williams played in Games 1, 2 and 4 against the Heat, but sat Game 3 because of the knee soreness. Williams came back for Games 3 and 4 against the Nets, along with playing Games 1-3 against the Bucks. Smart missed Games 1 and 4 of the East Finals thus far, though the absences have been because of different injuries. He’s a crucial piece for the Celtics and Williams’ defense and lob threat add a different dimension to the lineup. Williams has been in-and-out of the lineup as Udoka said he’s going to be day-to-day for the rest of the postseason. Both Smart and Williams were questionable on Tuesday’s injury report, but they’ll be good to go.

A slightly better final 24 minutes were all the visiting Boston Celtics were looking for on Wednesday, and when they put it together, they moved one victory ...

"I was the same player, I just had to get settled in (for the second half)," said Brown, who made two field goals and had just six points in the opening half. "Besides the fact that anything is possible, we just know what we're capable of," Butler said. "As the game wears on, some of that energy, some of that intensity wears off. Boston took charge in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 32-16. Four of the series' five games have ended in double-digit victories. "Look, we're not going to make any kind of deflection or make any kind of excuse," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics to a 93-80 win over the Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednsday. Boston will host Game 6 Friday.

Derrick White (14 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five assists and two steals) provided a spark off the bench. Even while playing with a hurt shoulder, Jayson Tatum (22 points on 7-of-20 shooting, 12 rebounds and nine assists) contributed so much more, especially scoring 18 points in the second half. The Heat game-planned for all those misses and hit the offensive glass hard. Butler (13 points on 4-of-18 shooting) looked hobbled by a knee injury. Recently returned from a hamstring injury, Kyle Lowry (zero points on 0-for-6 shooting with three turnovers) struggled. Jaylen Brown‘s first step left an ailing Jimmy Butler, one of the NBA’s top defenders when healthy, in the dust on the perimeter.

The statuses of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams could make a big difference Wednesday night. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka shared an update on both of his ...

Williams has played in just three of Boston's last eight games after suffering a bone bruise on his surgically-repaired left knee on May 7. But we've been dealing with it -- especially with the Rob situation -- for a while," Udoka said. He hasn't missed back-to-back games yet this postseason, though, and would give the Celtics a huge boost on both ends if he can play.

Last year at this time, Al Horford's team was finishing up a dismal season, closed out by losing 23 of its final 25 games and securing a lottery spot.

Horford is the only player on Boston’s roster with more than seven years of NBA experience, and he has been called upon in critical moments throughout these playoffs. We know he’s been great throughout training camp, early in the season, he’s carried that in the playoffs — and he’s almost taken another step in the playoffs.” Whether he is contesting or rebounding shots, Horford has done a solid job raising Boston’s defensive floor when Williams has been on the bench. After Miami’s Bam Adebayo erupted for 31 points in Game 3, Horford put the clamps on the big man in Monday’s Game 4. Only 28 of the Heat’s points came in the paint, tied for their lowest single-game output of this postseason. In the playoffs, Horford trails only Grant Williams for the team lead in closeouts and is fourth among 103 qualified defenders Minimum 20 field-goal attempts defended.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 93-80 on the road in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday to take a 3-2 series lead, ...

Jimmy Butler has been their only real “go-to” scorer and with him not looking right due to a lingering knee issue, the Heat’s offense has been dead at times. At just 24-year-old, Williams has quickly turned himself into a high-impact defensive center in the NBA. This piece is another elite-level scoring option next to Butler and while Bam Adebayo could be this type of player, he has proven in these playoffs that his production on offense can be very streaky. Boston has five players in their starting rotation that received All-Defense consideration this season and this is not a coincidence. Perhaps the biggest adjustment Boston has made on defense is not allowing Max Strus and other perimeter players to feel comfortable. Even going back to Game 1, you can see the improvements head coach Ime Udoka and his staff have made.

FiveThirtyEight rose to fame predicting elections, but it also has models for various sports leagues. The site's NBA model has been bullish on the this season's ...

The Celtics need to eliminate the Heat and the Warriors still have to take care of business against the Mavericks. But it's by far the most likely Finals matchup and has the potential to be an all-timer if it does happen. They have pretty much all the pieces needed to win a title. They can punch their ticket with a victory over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night at TD Garden.

As the Boston Celtics prepare to take on the Miami Heat in Game 5, with the series knotted at two games apiece, the Celtics are aware they need to be zeroed ...

Williams, meanwhile, is also dealing with ongoing soreness, and his stems from the left knee that has given him a variety of issues for the past two months. Smart has been dealing with the right ankle sprain that held him out of Game 4. The games we lost, we had 39 turnovers. In their two losses, they've thrown the ball all over the gym, allowing the Heat to get one easy transition basket after another. But coming off wins, Boston is a dismal 1-4, with its lone victory coming at home in Game 7 against Milwaukee. We should kind of look at it as a new series, and tonight is a must-win game.

With a 3-2 series lead going back to Boston for Game 6, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have the Celtics in their best position to reach the NBA Finals.

"This is a big game for us," Brown said. When he gets going, when I get going, we know that we're going to put ourselves in a good spot to win." But just come out and play our game and we'll be fine." From the outside, Tatum and Brown are low-maintenance players. "Watched a lot of film together. The Heat outlasted the Celtics in six games in the bubble in the 2020 conference finals. Brown and Tatum now face the biggest game of their careers. "I'm a lot better, J.B. is. Tatum had 18 in the second half. "J.T. and J.B. got it going, both those guys," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. So, know that it's possible," Tatum said, referencing last round when the Celtics won at Milwaukee, then at home in Game 7. ... As I always say, we rely on the defensive end (and) know our offense will pick up eventually.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Jayson Tatum added 22 and the Celtics are now one win from the NBA finals thanks to some superb defense.

Boston outscored Miami 32-16 in the third quarter, holding the Heat to 17% shooting. The Celtics haven’t reached the NBA Finals since 2010. The turnaround was 59-58 Boston to 83-60 Boston. Game 6 is in Boston on Friday night, where a pair of trophies bearing the names of Celtics legends will be waiting. They ran away after halftime to beat the Miami Heat 93-80 on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference title series. They believe their defense, as has been the case time and again in these playoffs, will eventually wear down teams.

MIAMI (AFP) - Jaylen Brown scored 25 points and Jayson Tatum added 22 as the Boston Celtics moved to the brink of the NBA Finals on Wednesday (May 25) by ...

We played great defense in the second half," Brown said. "We wear teams out defensively and make it hard on them mentally and physically," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. "We played great defence in the first half. "We just got it going offensively," Brown said. We cleaned it up, made more shots and got settled in." "We have an opportunity to do something special."

Zach Harper breaks down the key player and more from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Butler has no legs right now, and he is going to have to find some bounce in Game 6 to have his way around the basket. The moment it was over: The Celtics went on a 10-0 run to finish the third quarter and then started the fourth with a 14-2 run. What can the Heat do to win Game 6? What can the Celtics do to win Game 6? Those three were a combined 4-for-27 in Game 4, which pushes their total over the last two games to a combined 8-for-60, 13.3 percent from the field. After scoring four points on 1-of-9 shooting in the first half, Tatum exploded for 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the second half.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 37 points in the second half, leading the Celtics to a win that has them on the verge of playing for the Larry ...

He cited a calming effect to the group's experience, with the core of this roster playing in the conference finals on multiple occasions. We came into tonight with the mentality that it was a must-win game, and we need to carry that mentality over. Jaylen Brown, who finished Wednesday's win with a game-high 25 points, scoring 19 in the second half, and going from four turnovers in the first two quarters to none in the final two frames, expressed: "This is a great opportunity. When the Celtics came home with a 2-1 lead, they lacked urgency in Game 3, and it cost them. Led by its battle-tested veterans, Miami will rally around the thought of ruining the party and sending the series back to South Beach for Game 7. The same goes for Jimmy Butler since missing the second half of Game 3 due to a knee injury.

Ime Udoka's halftime message for Jaylen Brown clearly resonated with the young star as he helped the Celtics beat the Heat in Game 5 with a stellar ...

Come out and play basketball in the second half. His most memorable highlight was this powerful dunk in the third quarter. Brown scored six points on 2-of-7 shooting with four turnovers in 19:58 of playing time in the first half. "I just had to get settled in. We’re having way too many of these type of turnovers not being strong with the ball in a crowd. "The crowd is there.

Miami HEAT vs. Boston Celtics Friday, May 27 @ 8:30 PM Series Record: 3-2 Boston.

A huge portion of the game was decided by the HEAT winning the turnover battle, 23-8, and taking 22 more shots than their opponent, but this was a battle of the mind more than anything. In other words, precisely because the defense is so good and both teams have some inherent struggles in the halfcourt, we’re more likely than usual to see one run get extended as the other side is pushed more and more onto their heels. The HEAT ramped up the physicality on defense, found just enough shotmaking – Max Strus and Adebayo each hit a massive jumper after Boston closed to within one – and responded to one momentum-building one after another. Instead what we’re getting is a series where both defenses have indeed been great, but each game has seen one team lead by at least 20 – Boston’s near-comeback in Game 3 was the only real pushback we’ve seen from a big hole – because as soon as one defense gets rolling then the other team starts to struggle even more having to attack in the halfcourt, and the more that team misses the more the other side can try to push the pace. And in the end, that opening salvo offered a large enough lead to put Miami up 2-1 in the series. In winning the opening period, 39-18, the HEAT had just about as immaculate a start to a postseason game as you can possibly have. Both teams are going to come out of this one with plenty to like – Boston wound up winning three of the four quarters – and if you came into this game expecting a long series there wasn’t much on hand to dissuade you of that notion. With Kyle Lowry back, his effect on the pace of the offense, both in the open floor and in the halfcourt, was immediately evident as he pushed into a trail three for Max Strus and followed that up a few possessions later with his traditional hit-ahead pass to Jimmy Butler. But apart from Lowry and some hot three-point shooting, the real boost to the offense was Bam Adebayo scoring about as well as he has ever scored. And as usual – after Boston made a run with Butler off the court – he was there to bring it home down the stretch as he hunted the Payton Pritchard matchup relentlessly, holding the Celtics off with free-throws and jumpers. Boston was up by as much as they were up – 34 at the largest lead, but consistently over after their major runs – because they were hitting just about everything. Just as quick as Game 1 turned after the break when the HEAT rediscovered their own identity playing physical and precise defense and letting that effort power their offense, this time Boston was the team finding itself. He wasn’t alone in doing so, but there’s a level of pressure that Butler can apply to your offense that makes every pass carry just a little more inherent risk to it – an effect that played a major role as the HEAT’s defense fed their offense over and over and over again in the third quarter.

The Boston Celtics gritty win in Game 5 against the Miami Heat has presented them with an opportunity in Game 6 that they cannot squander.

Game 6, at TD Garden, with a chance to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals in front of their fans. But make no mistake; this series is not over yet, and the Celtics need to head into Game 6 with the mentality that it is a must-win constest. Not only do you pass up a golden opportunity to get some rest as you wait for the Finals, but you have to head back to Miami and try to beat the Heat with the home crowd behind them. You couldn’t have asked for an uglier game of basketball in Game 5, but at this time of the year, all that matters is who ends up in the win column. Boston now holds a commanding 3-2 series lead over Miami as the series shifts back to TD Garden for Game 6. It was the type of win that a team is required to make at least once in the playoffs if they want to eventually end up hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum wants experience to be the Celtics' guide as they return home with a chance to wrap up their first trip to the NBA Finals since ...