The Miami Heat were left stunned after an impressive performance by Jayson Tatum stole their victory in Game 2. The Boston Celtics wrapped the game up with a staggering 127-102 lead to tie the Eastern Conference Finals 1-1. The teams are now getting ready to steal the lead in Game 3 slated for Saturday night in Boston.
The Heats initially dominated the Thursday night game as they rallied their opponents for a major lead. Unfortunately, they could not hold on to the lead as the Celtics gave a comeback with a 17-0 performance that put them in a double-digit lead as the first quarter ended.
The Celtics continued their rally in the second half to put a 25-point lead on the board. They continued the lead for the rest of Game 2 and finished with 127 points against the 102 scored by the Miami Heat.
Jayson Tatum led the scoreboard with 27 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Jaylen Brown followed closely with 24 points and eight rebounds. The Celtics showed an overall performance that helped them topple the winners of Game 1.
As for the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler secured a whopping 29 points with six rebounds. But the lack of support from his teammates did not help them make it into a winning performance. Other than Butler, Gabe Vincent is the only player from the Miami Heat to post a double-digit score in Game 2.
Marcus Smart from the Celtics, who returned after missing out on Game 1 due to a foot injury, gave a great performance. He scored 24 points with nine rebounds, 12 assists, and three steals in the game. Al Horford, whose presence was sorely missed in Game 1, returned for a 4-of-4 performance and scored 10 points with three rebounds and three assists. The punters of NBA betting industry was relieved and this increased the betting odds to a high level.
Game 2 was comparable to Game 1 in many ways, as it was the Celtics who put up the lead initially. Still, the Heat broke all their strategies with 22-2 during overtime to flip the coin to their side a double-digit in. We cannot deny that the Celtics came so close to the victory even without their star players.
To make it worse, PJ Tucker from the Miami Heat has to retire from the court after the first half due to a knee contusion. There still has not been much information regarding his condition. However, Erik Spoelstra, the head coach of the Heat, looks confident about his arrival in Game 3, calling him the “toughest player.”
With veteran players like PJ Tucker and Kyle Lowry retired to the bench, the Miami Heat are looking at a situation similar to the one faced by the Celtics during Game 1. With Horford and Smart in playing condition, the Heats should find a solution to put up a fight in Game 3 slated for Saturday.
