For the second straight playoff series, the Boston Celtics will have to make up for a Game 1 loss at home.
The No. 2 seed C's were stunned by the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in Wednesday's showdown at TD Garden. They took a nine-point lead into the half but had no answer for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's adjustments in the third quarter. Miami scored a whopping 46 points in the frame and held on late to beat Boston, 123-116.
Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD:Ā Catastrophic third quarter costs Celtics in Game 1 loss to Heat |Ā Listen & Subscribe
Heat star Jimmy Butler continued his stellar postseason with a game-high 35 points. Bam Adebayo added 20 points of his own
Jayson TatumĀ paced the Celtics with 30 points whileĀ Jaylen BrownĀ chipped in 22 in the losing effort.
Game 2 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET Friday at TD Garden. But before we turn the page, here are three quick takeaways from Wednesday's defeat.
Boston Celtics
A disastrous third quarter
The Celtics won three out of the four quarters vs. the Heat, but the one quarter they lost was nothing short of catastrophic.
Miami erased a 12-point deficit and outscored Boston 46-25 in the third quarter. That's the second-most points the Celtics have ever allowed in a quarter of a playoff game, and the most the Heat have scored in the playoffs in any quarter.
There was no resistance on the defensive end for the C's as they allowed the Heat to shoot 18-of-26 from the floor in the frame. And yet again, we have a timeout controversy as Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla opted not to call one during Miami's run.
"We won three of the four quarters. We lost one quarter because of our sense of urgency," Mazzulla said after the loss. "We have to raise our level of urgency and our mindset."
The Celtics may have played a more complete game, but allowing 46 points in a single quarter is simply unacceptable. It cost them a win at home and they'll hope it doesn't come back to haunt them later on in the series.
Heat deliver a strong statement
Don't underestimate Miami. We heard that message repeatedly heading into this series, and the Heat showed us why with a gritty Game 1 performance.
It all started with Jimmy Butler. The six-time All-Star was the best player on the floor in Game 1, tallying a game-high 35 points (12-25 FG) to go with seven assists and five rebounds.
The stat that jumps off the page is his six steals. He joins Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to have multiple playoff games with 35+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ steals (via Stathead). He's the first player in Heat history with 35 points and six steals in a playoff game.
While Butler led the charge, the Heat avoided costly mistakes and forced the Celtics to make several miscues down the stretch. Boston had 10 turnovers in the second half.
C's president Brad Stevens spoke highly of Miami's discipline ahead of Game 1.
āI think the team weāre playing is the best, maybe in the league, at not beating themselves,ā Stevens said. āThey donāt take possessions off, theyāre so aggressive defensively and on offense they play with a purpose."
That was the case on Wednesday night, and it's why the Heat should not be overlooked no matter what the oddsmakers say.
Tale of two halves forĀ Marcus Smart
Smart did a little bit of everything for the C's in Game 1, but he stole the show with his passing in the first half.
The veteran point guard dished 10 assists before halftime, tying his career-high for assists in a half and tying Rajon Rondo's franchise record for most assists in a half in the playoffs.
Smart accounted for 11 of the Celtics' 22 total assists in the game. He focused on setting up his teammates early on, but he shifted his attention to scoring in the second half and didn't see favorable results. He had only one assist in the entire second half and, as our Phil Perry points out, struggled during Boston's third-quarter meltdown.
It was a mixed bag for Smart on Wednesday, but his strong passing is encouraging for the C's going forward. He should bring the pass-first approach into Game 2 on Friday.