They also got a measure of revenge a year after the Heat routed them in Game 7 of the conference finals in Boston. The Celtics won three games in this series without trailing, tied for the second most by any team in a series in the last 25 postseasons.
This report was contributed by ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press.
Miami’s Bam Adebayo led the team with 23 points while Tyler Herro contributed 15 points in their first early elimination from the playoffs since 2021. The Heat had a tough game, shooting just 3 out of 29 from the 3-point line.
The winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series will be facing Boston. The Cavaliers currently hold a 3-2 lead and the sixth game will take place in Orlando on Friday evening.
The Los Angeles Lakers have achieved the most wins in a single season in NBA history.
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Furthermore, Brown racked up 6 assists while White successfully made 5 3-pointers, totaling to 13 in the last two games. This impressive feat marks the highest number of 3-pointers in a two-game period in the Celtics’ playoff history.
White acknowledged his hometown fans by covering his face with his hand as he retreated up the court. With the Heat taking a break, a spectator near the Celtics’ bench was seen mimicking the act of cooling White off on the sideline.Boston exploited a Heat team that was the most injured it’d been in the series. Jaime Jaquez Jr. sat out after suffering a hip injury in Game 4. He was replaced in the lineup by Delon Wright, marking the 37th starting five the Heat used this season. Jaquez joined Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck), who had both been sidelined since the start of the series.
The Boston team capitalized on the weak points in the Heat’s defensive strategy, strategically spacing out and successfully shooting 8 3-pointers in the first quarter. This allowed the Celtics to maintain a commanding 18-point advantage going into the second quarter.
The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday night, with both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White contributing 25 points each. This win secured their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals, despite the Heat being at a disadvantage due to missing key players.
During the first 12 minutes, White was the star as he made 8 three-pointers, dominating Miami with his long-range shots in Game 4. He remained aggressive at the beginning of Wednesday’s game, tricking his opponents with a fake three-point shot before easily dunking the ball with one hand.Boston played for the first time this postseason without center Kristaps Porzingis after he strained his right calf in the Celtics’ Game 4 victory. His teammates filled in the gaps, as the Celtics’ lead reached 30 points in the first half.
Sam Hauser contributed 17 points while Jayson Tatum posted 16 points and 12 rebounds. In a dominant performance, the top-ranked Celtics maintained the lead throughout the game and even extended it to a 35-point advantage before securing the victory by 34 points. This tied as the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game for the franchise.
