SUMMARY
- The Boston Celtics defeat the Miami Heat in Game 5 and win their first round series.
- The Celtics dominated the Heat in terms of three point shooting, rebounding and attacking the paint.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have cleared the first hurdle on their path to a potential NBA championship this season. To those who might not be aware, the Celtics finished this year with the best record in the NBA and matched up against the Miami Heat for the first round of the playoffs.
While most of the other series’ across the Eastern Conference have been relatively evenly matched, the Celtics proved that they are on another level when compared to the Miami Heat and finished their series the quickest. As the Celtics advance to the next round of the playoffs and obtain revenge for being eliminated by the Heat last season, let us take a look at their performance vs the Heat in Game 5.
The Celtics dominated the Heat throughout Game 5
Since Jimmy Butler did not play in this series due to injury, the Celtics were already favored to win heading into this matchup. Boston showed their elite talent and depth in Game 5 by completely dominating Miami. They started off hot from the three-point line thanks to Derrick White. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics held a commanding 41-23 lead over the Heat.
One of the main reasons that the Heat lost this game was the fact that they shot terribly from the three-point line and were also unable to stop the Celtics from scoring. Although Jayson Tatum was coming off an ankle injury, he dominated the glass in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis and finished the night with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Both Jalen Brown and Derrick White scored 25 points each to lead their team.
Despite winning Game 2 and having Butler believe that his team could potentially win this series without him, the Heat have now been eliminated from the playoffs and have started their relatively long offseason. On the other hand, the Celtics now have a good opportunity to rest and prepare for their second-round matchup.
Boston will now face the winner of the Cavs-Magic series
Since the Boston Celtics finished as the 1st seeded team, they will face the winner of the 4th and 5th-seeded first-round matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. At the moment, the Cavs hold a 3-2 lead on the Magic and are favored to advance to the next round.
In any case, Boston Celtics fans are looking forward to seeing if their team is able to go all the way and win an NBA championship this season. On the other hand, Heat fans are left pondering if this series would have gone differently with Jimmy Butler on the court.