The Boston Celtics (17-4) got back into the win column with an easy 108-89 victory over the Miami Heat (9-10) on December 3.
It was a team-wide effort for Boston, who played without Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Sam Hauser, and Jrue Holiday. Jaylen Brown topped his squad with 29 points, nearly flawless from the line at 9-of-10 while adding 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Jayson Tatum racked up 18 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick White finished with 19 points and 8 assists. Luke Kornet chipped in 6 points and 6 blocks while Payton Pritchard remained in top form with 25 points—his fourth straight game with at least 20 points off the bench.
Miami dropped their second straight game with Jimmy Butler out due to knee soreness. Jaime Jaquez Jr. stepped up with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Herro added 19 but shot a miserable 6-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-10 from three, while Bam Adebayo tallied 15 points, 8 rebounds,s and 5 assists.
Brown and Pritchard Carried the Celtics to the Win
Miami jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead to start the game but Boston woke up and took control with a 17-2 run. The Celtics kept going in the second, with Pritchard scoring 11 points to help them build a 48-35 lead. Brown joined the fray, pushing the gap to 17.
Miami came out of the third with a sense of urgency, forcing 3 immediate turnovers from Tatum and cutting the gap to 52-60. But the Celtics promptly doused the surge with 8 unanswered points and led by as much as 22. The Celtics dominated the final 12 minutes with scorching shooting, pushing the lead to a commanding 27 points and sealing the win.
The Celtics face the Pistons while the Heat host the Lakers on Thursday.
