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Smart liked his view much better on Thursday, when he
electrified Boston with a superb all-around effort as the
Celtics rolled to a 127-102 victory over the host Miami Heat,
evening the series at one win apiece.
Smart returned from a one-game absence caused by a right foot
injury and contributed 24 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and
three steals in 40 minutes. Smart also made five 3-pointers to
help the Celtics avenge their Game 1 setback.
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year didn't look the least bit
hampered as he was his usual pesky self on defense while
accumulating at least 20 points and 10 assists in a postseason
game for the third time in his career.
"I was pumped. I felt bad that I couldn't be out there with my
teammates and go to battle with them," Smart said of his
absence. "We're playing against a really good Miami Heat team. I
got to get my rest, I got my health back, I got to watch and see
some things and come out to execute this game."
Smart also received top-notch help as Jayson Tatum scored 27
points, Jaylen Brown registered 24 points and eight rebounds and
Grant Williams added 19 points for Boston.
Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 29 points. Gabe Vincent and
Victor Oladipo added 14 points apiece while Tyler Herro scored
11 for Miami.
Smart helped hound Butler, who scored 41 points in Game 1.
"My assignment was to make everything tough for him," Smart
said. "We knew he would hit some shots. If he did, he was going
to have to work for them.
"We all know Jimmy is a great player. Jimmy has been doing this
for a long time. He knows what it takes and he has that heart.
It took a full team effort. I started on him but everybody got a
shot."
Game 3 is Saturday night at Boston.
The Celtics were outscored 39-14 in the third quarter of Game 1
as an eight-point halftime lead turned into a 118-107 loss. They
had no such troubles this time.
Boston led by 25 points at halftime and played the Heat to a
standstill (26 points apiece) in the third quarter to take a
96-71 lead into the fourth quarter.
Smart buried a 3-pointer to push the lead to 103-73 with 9:55
left as the Celtics continued to roll. Boston's biggest lead was
34 points.
"This has to hurt," Butler said of the margin of defeat. "They
tried to embarrass us, they did embarrass us. We have to realize
that.
"It can't get too much worse. They whipped our tails on our home
floor."
Al Horford (COVID-19 protocol) also returned for the Celtics
after missing Game 1 and had 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting.
Horford cleared the protocol hours before tipoff.
Miami lost P.J. Tucker to a left knee contusion in the third
quarter. He had five points and four rebounds in 22 minutes
before exiting.
The Heat were also without Kyle Lowry (left hamstring) for the
eighth time in the past 10 games.
The Celtics shot 51.2 percent from the field, including 50
percent (20 of 40) from 3-point range. Tatum and Brown each made
four 3-pointers.
Miami connected on 44.2 percent of its shots and was 10 of 34
(29.4 percent) from behind the arc.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said his team can't let the crushing
loss linger.
"This only counts as one (defeat)," Spoelstra said. "That's what
experienced players and staff in the locker room understand. We
don't like it. They played extremely well."
Boston made 12 of 19 3-point attempts (63.2 percent) in the
first half while building a 70-45 halftime lead. The Celtics led
by as many as 29 before the break.
Boston's onslaught occurred after it fell behind by 10 just 4
1/2 minutes into the game.
Brown drained a 3-pointer with 3:44 left in the first period to
start a string of 17 straight points as the Celtics eventually
took a 32-21 lead. Boston led 35-24 at the end of the quarter.
Williams' layup made it 68-39 with 1:16 remaining in the second
quarter before Boston settled for the 25-point halftime cushion.
--Field Level Media
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