- Miami Heat is one win away from the NBA finals.
- Tyler Herro scored 37 points in last night’s win, 112-109.
- Jayson Tatum scored all of his 28 points in the second half.
Herro’s Explosion
The Miami Heat defeated Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the ECF, 112-109, mostly because of Tyler Herro’s superb performance.
He would score 37 points, to completely dismantle the Celtics’ defense, who apparently wasn’t counting on his magnificent burst.
“Herro’s shot-making tonight was … the difference in the game,” Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens said.
The 20-year old hit 14 of his 21 shots from the field, adding five threes, and six rebounds, leading the Heat throughout the entire time he spent on the floor.
“I’m just going to bet on myself,” he would say after the match. “I’ve been doing that my whole life. I went from a small town in Milwaukee to Kentucky, and nobody thought I would survive there, and nobody thought I would survive here.”
Well, just a few have bet on the Heat to reach this position, but they did. Erik Spoelstra’s team is up 3-1, and one game away from the NBA Finals. Yet, they had to work to reach this position, especially in the final period.
Heat had a 50-44 lead at the halftime, which was extended in the third, once they got away to 60-48. The feisty Celtics got back into the game thanks to Jayson Tatum, who scored 28 points in the second half, after having zero over the first two periods.
At one moment of the final quarter, Boston briefly had an edge 85-84; however that quickly disappeared. The final seconds of the match were intense, with the Celtics trying to reach the rivals, but without any success. Jimmy Bulter scored three free throws to secure another win for his side and move them closer to the finals.
Butler had 24 points and nine rebounds, missing one of his nine free throws and shooting 8-for-20. After a subpar performance in Game 3, both he and Goran Dragic bounced back. Drago had 22 buckets, 8-for-21 with five rebounds, and three assists.
Celtics Without Power to Rally
Bam Adebayo was at his usual level, posting a double-double with 20 points and 12 boards, with four dimes, presenting a problem for the Celtics on both ends of the floor.
As mentioned before, Tatum had 28 points, but he couldn’t score a single one in the first period. The 22-year old missed all of his six shots from the field, four of them from downtown. His late burst wasn’t enough for Boston, who was already struggling to deliver and didn’t have enough confidence to come back.
“I wasn’t aggressive enough,” Tatum said. “I didn’t score in the first half. That’s unacceptable. So I knew I had to play better, and that’s what I tried to do.”
Celtics’ forward played 39 minutes, made 10 of 22 shots, with nine rebounds, four threes and assists. Tatum also recorded three rejections.
Jaylen Brown spent the most time on the floor, 40 minutes, contributing with 21 points and nine rebounds as well. JB was 8-for-14. Kemba Walker scored 20, assisting on five occasions, and grabbing 4 boards.
Gordon Hayward was solid off the bench with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Marcus Smart wasn’t in a good offensive rhythm, 3-for-12 from the field, hitting just one three in eight attempts, for 10 points and 11 assists.
Game 5 is this Friday.
