Celtics Advance, Eliminate Heat in First Playoff Test Without Porzingis
The Celtics eliminate the Miami Heat 4-1 in their first-round series, as they conform to life without Kristaps Porzingis for the near-future
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics cruised to a blowout victory in their third consecutive postseason win against the Miami Heat, this time unscathed, as Kristaps Porzingis remains the only Celtics player on the mend and with no timetable set for his return.
After losing Porzingis in Game 4, Boston won its first-round, best-of-7 series, 4-1, with a 118-84 blowout win in Game 5 on Wednesday. The Celtics have advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will face the Orlando Magic or Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I liked how we approached the series regardless of who we were playing,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. It had an intentionality to it, attention to detail, and consistent physicality, and that’s the most important thing — having that regardless of who you’re playing against. Wake up tomorrow, have to do it all over again against another team.”
The Celtics’ defense held the Heat to fewer than 90 points in all three consecutive wins, including the 84-point total in Game 3, equal to the Heat’s final score in Wednesday’s series-clinching loss. Even with a 20+ point lead intact, Boston’s defense never let up, holding Miami to 18 points in the final frame.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown both scored a game-high 25 points, leading five Celtics players in double figures, including Sam Hauser’s 17-point, 5-for-8 from deep performance off the bench, and an efficient double-double for Jayson Tatum (16 points, 12 rebounds). Al Horford, who finished with eight points, six rebounds, and three assists, started in place of Porzingis while Hauser, Payton Pritchard (7 points), and Luke Kornet (seven rebounds) picked up the slack off the bench.
The Celtics constantly challenged Miami, while Bam Adebayo (23 points) found his offense early and often for the Heat. But he lacked offensive support from teammates, such as Tyler Herro (15 points), who shot 6-of-19 from the floor.
Caleb Martin (1-for-5 from deep) couldn’t find his shot, while the Heat finished 3-for-29 from 3 (10.3%). Boston’s defense catapulted its scoring efficiency. Game 5 was a great example of how the Celtics’ offense clicks when everyone’s dedicated to playing defense.
Losing a vital starting member like Porzingis can evoke this kind of response from a championship-caliber team such as the Celtics, who know the playoffs aren’t the time to take opportunities for granted. Kristaps, who was seen leaving the Keysea Center in a walking boot to secure his injured right calf on Monday, left TD Garden on his own on Wednesday.
However, no updates have been provided, as Boston will monitor his progression throughout the semifinal’s best-of-7 series. Closing Miami out in five games, especially against a shorthanded Heat team that has not had Jimmy Butler or Terry Rozier all series, was essential to Boston, and it showed.
“They’ve been the best team in basketball all season long, and in this series, in four of the games, they played as such,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about the Celtics. “That had nothing to do with the injuries. It had nothing to do with the guys that were available or not available. They played really good basketball, and they probably had something to motivate them even more against us. But they played at a high level. I will not watch one minute of their games, but they’ll probably do this for several teams from here on out.
“They’ve got a really good team. They know what they’re doing, and they deserve this one.”
Awaiting the winner between the Cavs and Magic, the Celtics’ second-round series could start as early as Sunday if Cleveland, currently with a 3-2 lead in the series, wins Game 6 on Friday. If not, Boston will have until Tuesday to prepare, with a hypothetical Game 7 slated for Sunday.
“Take (Thursday) off and practice on Friday,” Mazzulla replied when asked what’s next regarding his team’s preparation. “Each series takes on a life of its own. On Friday, we’ll be able to work on some long-term stuff that we need to get better at as a team, regardless of who we’re playing. Then, whenever (it’s) decided — our opponent — we can kind of go towards that. But I think it’s important that we get better as a team on Friday. Really important”