BOSTON — From a series sweep to a serious series, the Boston Celtics are transforming the Eastern Conference Finals.
They’re still in a big hole, but they won easily again Thursday, 110-97, in Game 5 against the Miami Heat, with four of their starters scoring at least 20 points, and are now two wins away from becoming the first team in NBA history to win a series after trailing, 3-0.
Game 6 is at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Miami. The Celtics have won the last two games by a combined 30 points. Boston never trailed Thursday and led by no less than 24 points — it was a 15-point game after the first quarter.
The Celtics backcourt of Derrick White and Marcus Smart easily had its best games of the series. They took advantage of the absence of Heat starting goaltender Gabe Vincent (sprained left ankle) and victimized Max Strus and Vincent’s replacement, Kyle Lowry.
White, who opened the Conference Finals as a reserve, started with 24 of six 3s, with two steals. Smart added 23 points (four 3s) and five steals. Jayson Tatum nearly hit a triple-double (21 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds and Jaylen Brown added 21 points.)
Neither Bam Adebayo (16 points, eight rebounds) nor Jimmy Butler (14 points) played in the fourth quarter of this blowout. Miami turned to Haywood Highsmith for the first time in this series and he delivered the bench with 15 points, as did Caleb Martin (14 points) and Duncan Robinson (18 points).
Lowry and Strus gave the Heat little (combining for eight points on 3-of-10 shooting). Miami was again a mess with turnovers (16 for Celtics 27 points) and gave up 17 second-chance points. The Celtics, continuing another recent trend, were hot again from 3-point range.
Just one more win would bring this streak back to Boston for an unlikely Game 7 on Monday, with a ton of history on the line as well as a spot in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
As you know, none of the 150 teams that fell 3-0 in a series have come back to win. Only three teams have even forced a Game 7.
The Celtics look alike
It took the Celtics until halftime in Game 4 to figure things out, but they put up their wall-to-wall masterpiece in Game 5 to give the possibility of a 0-0 comeback. 3 a shocking reality.
Boston’s contested shoot was unsustainably good, but their attention to detail and intensity in all aspects of their identity and plan at both ends came back strong. — Weiss
Boston Basketball Peak
Tatum has finally solved the Miami defense and seems so comfortable drawing doubles and finding shooters. The team moves the ball with speed and determination, and the defensive pressure was just right without being overdone. The one-on-one defense on Butler and Adebayo has been incredible, and Boston nails their spacing in transition on their countless deflections.
This is the pinnacle of Celtics basketball, and they look like they could pull off the greatest comeback ever if they maintain that focus. — Weiss
The Celtics play with intensity
The Celtics had the intensity from the start. On the first game, Smart pushed the ball away from Adebayo and dove downfield to take the ball. From there, Boston forced 15 more turnovers, including five more by Adebayo.
Boston was actually outclassed after opening the game on a 20-5 run, but maintained a comfortable margin the rest of the way. Tatum didn’t have a big goalscoring game but controlled everything with his attacking reads. — King
Compulsory reading
(Photo: Winslow Townson/USA Today)
