Author: Monojit Mandal
Score: Celtics 102 – 128 Heat
The Heat showed no mercy in defeating the Celtics 128-102 in Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat now have a dominant 3-0 lead in the series, putting the Celtics on the brink of elimination. The following games will be must-wins for Boston, who need to win them all to keep their title dream alive.
The Heat’s offensive attack was led by Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson, who scored 29 and 22 points respectively. His excellent three-point shots, however, had a big influence on the game.
The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 11 and 12 points respectively in the first quarter. However, their efforts were matched by Jimmy Butler and Max Strus of the Heat, who scored 12 points. Miami had an eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter, with the score showing 30-22 in their favor.
The Celtics tried to keep up with the Heat in the second quarter, but Miami kept them at bay. The Heat scored 31 points in the quarter, trailing Boston by 15 points at halftime, thanks to Bam Adebayo’s incredible dunks and a strong 17-6 run. The Celtics scored 24 points in the quarter, but were unable to close the gap.
Gabe Vincent was dominant, hitting many three-pointers, while the Celtics struggled with missed three-pointers, lay-ups and alley-oops. The hosts continued to dominate, scoring 32 points throughout the quarter, while Boston scored just 17. With a 30-point lead, the Celtics’ spirits dropped noticeably.
The remaining 12 minutes of the game were a formality, as the Heat ensured that their margin never fell below 27 points. Although Boston matched Miami’s score in the fourth quarter, with 39 points to the Heat’s 35, it was too little, too late for the Celtics to save the game.
The Celtics’ top scorers with double-digit points were Jaylen-Brown, Jayson Tatum, Grant-Williams, Payton-Pritchard and Luke Kornet. However, none of them managed to score more than 12 points.
Gabe Vincent led the Heat with a career-high 29 points, including six three-pointers in nine attempts. Caleb Martin scored 18 points, Jimmy Butler scored 16 points and Duncan Robinson scored 22 points, hitting five of his seven three-point attempts.
Although Marcus Smart’s three-pointer at the start of the second half cut the Celtics’ lead to 61-49, Miami immediately took control with an incredible 28-7 run, creating a 33-point lead at 89-56. The Heat’s dominant performance got the crowd of 20,088 fans excited, even though the result seemed practically guaranteed. Will the Heat complete the sweep or will the Celtics be able to recover? Basketball fans are looking forward to the next chapter in this fierce playoff battle.