The Miami Heat came out firing in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, tying the series at one game apiece with a 111-101 victory on Wednesday night in Boston. Tyler Herro led the way for the Heat with 24 points and 14 assists, while Bam Adebayo added 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Heat shot a scorching 53.5% from beyond the arc, making a franchise playoff-record 23 3-pointers. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 33 points, while Jayson Tatum added 28.
The game was close throughout, but the Heat pulled away in the third quarter with a 10-0 run to take an 82-70 lead. The Celtics cut it to 102-96 with three minutes left, but Martin hit a 3-pointer and the Celtics never got within two possessions again.
The series now moves to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday. The Celtics won 64 games in the regular season to claim home-court advantage throughout the NBA Finals, but they didn’t make very good use of it in Game 2.
Tatum, who had his first career playoff triple-double in Game 1, started Game 2 and had 14 points in the first quarter. He finished with 28 points, but he was not as effective as he was in Game 1.
The Heat, who needed to win a play-in game to earn the right to face the Celtics, played with great energy and intensity in Game 2. They were led by Herro, who was 6-of-13 from 3-point range. Adebayo was also a force in the paint, finishing with a double-double.
The Celtics will need to make some adjustments before Game 3 if they want to regain home-court advantage. The Heat, on the other hand, will look to build on their Game 2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series.
