Jayson Tatum runs rampant as Celtics dominate Heat 102-82 in Game 4
After a disappointing Game 3 in which he scored just 10 points as the Heat comfortably won, Tatum looked back to his best, racking up eight rebounds and five assists as well.
The result levels the best-of-seven series at 2-2, with the two sides facing off next in Game 5 in Miami on Wednesday.
“You feel like you let your teammates down,” Tatum said when asked about his Game 3 performance.
“I think I do a really good job of sleeping it off regardless if I had 10 points or 46 points. I’m a big believer that you can’t change what happened. I didn’t doubt myself.”
Tatum added: “Obviously, we knew how important this game was. Everybody just had to come up with a different sense of urgency.”
Throughout the regular season, Boston’s defense had been the No. 1 ranked in the NBA. And it showed why early on in Game 5, even without the NBA’s defensive player of the year, Marcus Smart.
Miami missed 15 of their first 16 shots as the Celtics stifled the Heat, allowing them to build a 26-4 lead and cruise to a comfortable victory late on.
Boston led by 27 points in the second quarter and as many as 32 points in the third.
For the Heat, it was a disappointing outing after an impressive Game 3 performance on the road.
Playing without the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, Tyler Herro, Miami struggled to create an opening in a hostile environment against a swarming defense.
“They came out and jumped us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re not making any excuses. They outplayed us tonight for sure. We never could get any kind of grip on the game.”
Quoted from Various Sources
Published for: Ipodifier
