The Miami Heat are just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals after destroying the Boston Celtics (128-102) this Sunday in the third game of the series (3-0). Some Heat who reached the playoffs after going through the 'play-in' and who can become the second team in NBA history to reach the Finals as eighth in their conference. The 1999 New York Knicks were the only ones that had achieved it so far, but in the series for the ring they lost against the San Antonio Spurs (4-1).
After leaving behind Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks, the best team in the league in the regular season, and the New York Knicks, those from Miami have melted down a Celtics far from their best level, and with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown missing. Those from Boston can now only aspire to a miracle, since no team in the NBA has managed to come back from 0-3 against.
A resounding victory without fissures in which Miami was already winning by 33 points in the third quarter and where they didn't even need an extraordinary version of Jimmy Butler, who contributed 16 points (5 of 13 shooting), eight rebounds and six assists. This time the most outstanding player for the Heat was Gabe Vincent with 29 points (his scoring record) and a fantastic 11 of 14 shooting with 6 of 9 on three-pointers. The only bad news for the locals was the injury to Kevin Love, who left the game in the first quarter due to a sore left ankle and never returned to the field.
The Celtics, for their part, showed a poor image and no reaction capacity to try to close the gap. A very different situation from the one that occurred in 2022 when the Boston team eliminated the Heat in the Eastern final after seven games. This time Tatum collapsed with 14 points (6 of 18 on shots, 1 of 7 on 3-pointers) and Brown also failed with 12 points (6 of 17 on attempts, 0 of 7 on 3-pointers).
Some Miami Heat that overwhelmed from the beginning and proved, with the permission of the Nuggets, to be the most balanced and compensated team in the playoffs. With 59-37 on the scoreboard and with 3.59 to go before the break, the Celtics, with many losses and many defensive problems, clung to the game and managed to stay alive (61-46) but still with a lot of work ahead of them. to cut distances.
However, things for Boston did not improve in the second half and they conceded a brutal blow that left the score at 86-53. The Heat, with an impeccable performance in all facets of the game, showed no mercy and continued to crush the rim of a completely helpless Celtics who had no reaction capacity.
In the last quarter, those in green threw in the towel and let the locals sign a perfect victory that brings them even closer to the NBA Finals. After the game, Jaylen Brown called the loss "shameful," but his teammate Al Horford said the Celtics aren't dead yet despite the blow. Joe Mazzulla's men will have one last chance this Wednesday where they will need more than a good game to stay alive in the series.
