Boston sinks in Miami, the Heat very close to the NBA final

Catastrophic, embarring … Superlatives are lacking to qualify the performance of the Boston Celtics on the night of Sunday to Monday, crushed in Miami (128-102) by a team in great success, like the leader Gabe Vincent (26 years old). ), the game’s leading scorer with 29 points. The Heat are just one win away from returning to the NBA Finals.

The Floridians took the lead in the first quarter with a good shooting skill (58% including 50% behind the arc), in particular forcing Jayson Tatum and his team to commit a lot of ball losses (6).

Erik Spoelstra’s side continued to be aggressive in the second quarter, quickly building a 13-point lead thanks in part to Bam Adebayo, who spectacularly wrapped up an alley-oop from Duncan Robinson, and sent Jaylen Brown to the mat on a spin concluded by a devastating dunk.

Opposite, Boston seemed to accept its fate throughout the match, unable to react to the blows of the Heat. As a symbol, the “Jays” (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) missed everything they tried, finishing 1/14 from three points on aggregate. “ I failed to mobilize my group tonight. It’s my responsibility”Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game.

The second knives of Miami at the rendezvous

Big man from the Heat since the start of the play-offs, Jimmy Butler (33) did not need to force his talent (16 points, 8 rebounds). He was supplemented by the rankless of the Heat : Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin, authors of 79 points between them, a record at this stage of the competition for undrafted players in the NBA.

As for the Celtics, Joe Mazzulla capitulated at the start of the fourth quarter, rotating his workforce which was already 30 points behind (93-63). Miami has not slowed down, however, by continuing to line up the winning shots (19 in all, 54.3% success), like Duncan Robinson (29), author of three of them in the last five minutes of the match.

Finalist last season (4-2 defeat against Golden State), Boston recorded one of its worst defeats in the play-offs. Led 3-0 in the series, the “C’s” are on the verge of elimination before game 4 scheduled for Tuesday night in Miami. Never has a team succeeded in making up for such a deficit.