(AFP / VOZ MEDIA) The Miami Heat set a new playoff record for three-pointers, leading to an unexpected 111-101 victory against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. This win tied the Eastern Conference first-round series at 1-1, while the Thunder dominated the Pelicans with a 2-0 lead to advance in the series.
At the TD Garden in Boston, the Miami Heat demonstrated remarkable courage by taking on the top team of the regular season, even without Jimmy Buttler who is out injured.
The Heat's victory was fueled by their exceptional outside shooting, as they made an impressive 23 three-pointers with a 53.5% success rate. They broke their previous postseason record of 20 three-pointers in a single game.
A historic shooting night from beyond the arc was the story of tonight’s game as we made over half of our threes & 5 different players hit 3 or more
Read @CoupNBA’s takeaways from our Game 2 win in Boston - https://t.co/kbLQ4Y2zWm pic.twitter.com/e63wWGGgeP
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 25, 2024
Mexican-American rookie Jaime Jáquez Jr. made three three-pointers and scored 14 points throughout the game.
Point guard Tyler Herro stepped up as Miami's offensive leader, sinking six three-pointers in the absence of two of the team's top three best scorers of the season, Butler and Terry Rozier.
"Right before this series, JB (Butler) sent me a message to take charge of the team and lead these guys, to make all the right plays," said Herro, who finished with 24 points and 14 assists.
The talented 24-year-old point guard said that losing the first game, by 20 points motivated them to make a comeback.
"We lost badly in the first game and everyone responded tonight," he said.
The Heat's success and defensive intensity in the playoffs allowed them to defeat the Celtics who relied heavily on the scoring performances of Jaylen Brown (33 points) and Jayson Tatum (28).
Apart from the team's two All-Stars, Derrick White was the Celtics' only other player to score double digits (13 points).
Miami had a 12-point lead midway through the third quarter. They limited their turnovers and fought against the home team's comeback attempts.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy. There's a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently," said Tatum, who has played the Heat in four of the last five playoffs.
"Regardless of who is seeded or who plays or doesn't play, these are the playoffs," he said.
Holmgren amazes fans
Unlike Boston's struggles, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the West had no trouble securing their second victory against the New Orleans Pelicans with a resounding 124-92 win.
All five starters finished in double figures ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/rdfgMEXGBA
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 25, 2024
The young team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a finalist for the MVP award, dispelled any lingering doubts from Sunday's hard-fought victory against a rival team, which was hampered by the absence of its star player, Zion Williamson
Rookie center Chet Holmgren took advantage of Willamson's absence with a phenomenal start, scoring 19 points in just seven minutes, including three three-pointers without a miss.
Holmgren finished the game with 26 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in his second playoff appearance.
Canadian Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and forward Jalen Williams scored another 21 points.
The trio of Thunder leaders managed to make 32 of their 49 shots along with 9 out of 10 free throws.
"Within a seven-game series, we have to go day by day and try to improve every day," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"And I think that's what we did tonight. We had a better performance than in the first game and that's our goal," said the Thunder star, who will try to break the tie in the away games on Saturday and Monday.
