The Boston Celtics pulled away from the Miami Heat for a 129-116 victory on Friday night at TD Garden, with Derrick White scoring a season-high 33 points, including nine three-pointers, and Jaylen Brown adding 30 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra pointed to key mistakes in the third quarter. “The biggest turning point was our offense at the end of the third quarter. We had a couple turnovers, three turnovers, and they came down and hit four threes. That just broke the game open,” he said.
Spoelstra highlighted the Celtics’ ability to capitalize on Miami’s confusion. “It was almost like our minds went, and then we had a lot of mistakes that led to open threes. They have that kind of firepower, and it turned for them at the right moment,” he added.
The coach praised rookie Kasparas Jakucionis for stepping up in limited opportunities. “He gives us energy, pace, and is fearless. He’s really improved his three-point shooting, and that was a bright spot with Davion out,” Spoelstra said.
Addressing concerns about absences, Spoelstra said, “We’ll see with Davion and Andrew. They have different issues, and warming up today just wasn’t good enough. We’ll have to see how they respond going forward.”
Spoelstra also discussed Kel’el Ware’s performance from deep. “I want to be open to everything with this team. I see him knock down shots, and it’s a good quality look. He certainly was effective from three tonight,” he noted.
Miami struggled at the rim despite Bam Adebayo’s double-double. “In the first half, that easily could have been a 12-15 point lead. We just missed opportunities, but I loved the pace we played at,” Spoelstra said.
White’s versatility earned Spoelstra’s praise. “I think he’s the most underrated player in the league. He showed he could score, playmaking, and defensively do so many things. He’s the best shot-blocking guard in the league,” Spoelstra said.
The Heat stayed competitive early, trailing by only one at halftime, but Boston dominated the fourth quarter, using a 20-7 run to take control. Anfernee Simons contributed 14 points off the bench, while White and Brown’s efficient scoring pushed the Celtics to a 16-11 record.
Miami fell to 15-13 despite strong efforts from Ware (24 points, 14 rebounds), Norman Powell (18 points), and Bam Adebayo (16 points, 10 rebounds). Missed opportunities and turnovers in the second half prevented a comeback.
