NBA scores: Celtics go looking for answers after Heat loss in Game 3

The Heat did squeeze the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but it wasn’t a whopping 48 minutes as the final score suggested. Boston even went 12-9 at the start, but 16-14 was their last lead in the game before Miami outscored them 114-86 for the final 43 minutes.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 13 of the first 16 points for Boston, but they didn’t have much fuel outside of that with Tatum scoring just nine more points and Brown adding just four more for the remainder of the game. That just wasn’t going to cut it when a Heat player like Duncan Robinson exploded for 10 points in the second quarter alone.

Despite starting pedestrian, Miami won each of the first three quarters with a combined 30 points, thanks to the contributions of Robinson and Gabe Vincent, who finished the night with a career-high — regular or postseason — 29 points in the elite. efficiency, 11-14 FG.

Jimmy Butler is still at the center of it all despite having his lowest scoring result this postseason, 16 points on an under par FG 5-13. He also finished with eight rebounds (his third in the last four games) as well as six assists (fifth in the last six games) with two steals and his usual lot of pulling power.

Brown, who finished with just 12 points (shooting 2-20 3P during the series after going 0-7 in this game) and worst game -25, didn’t have much to answer after the game, apparently keeping his head. for himself:

Vincent, featured in Inside the NBA after the game, talked about how the series was first to four instead of first to three, although neither team has ever come back from 0-3 down. He and the Heat will look to end the Celtics’ season and get some much-needed rest before the Finals when Game 4 ends at 8:30 on Tuesday.