The top-seeded Boston Celtics were 37-4 at home during the regular season. They destroyed the Miami Heat by 20 points inside TD Garden in Game 1 of their NBA Playoff series over the weekend. Miami was playing without star wing Jimmy Butler.
Everything was set up for the odds-on NBA title favorites to absolutely blow out Miami at home on Wednesday and take a 2-0 stranglehold on the series. Right? Right? Wrong!
Proving that he is one of the best in the modern history of the game, Erik Spoelstra had his Heat more than ready to play in Game 2.
Caleb Martin dropped 21 points on 5-of-6 from three-point range, including the dagger with just over two minutes remaining.
Tyler Herro snapped out of a recent postseason funk by dropping 24 points with a resounding 14 assists. He was special.
Miami’s shortened bench also went for 20 points in outplaying Boston second unit as the Heat won by the score of 111-101.
For the Celtics, it was just a disaster class of a performance. Jayson Tatum showed a tremendous amount of frustration as things weren’t going his way in the second half. Big man Kristaps Porzingis shot 1-of-9 from the field. The Boston Celtices were minus-32 with him on the court.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the back-court combo of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White were a combined minus-43 when on the court in a game that the Celtics lost by 10.
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NBA world reacts to Miami Heat shocking Boston Celtics
The common NBA fan typically roots for the underdog. As far as those covering the Association, they have their own takes. These two combined to form elite-level reactions in response to Miami’s big win to even the series at one.