No Jimmy Butler again? No problem as five Heat players scored in double digits and 2⁄3 of their field goals coming from behind the arc

Sans their star Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat, bolstered by a cascade of franchise-record-setting threes (23 for 43), in their 111-101 road victory. An understaffed Miami Heat squad traded blows with the top seed Boston Celtics throughout the first half, and after 13 lead changes and six ties, surged ahead in the third quarter for good while minimizing superstar Jayson Tatum’s scoring impact.

Miami was able to extract production from throughout its depleted rotation by focusing on shots from beyond the arc instead of inside it – with Olympian Bam Adebayo (21 points and 10 rebounds) and Tyler Herro (20 points, 14 assists, and 3 steals) leading the way. Caleb Martin shipped in 21, and the other starts also scored in double digits.

Boston was charged mostly by its starpower in Tatum (28 points and 8 assists) and Jaylen Brown (32 points and 7 rebounds), who carried their attack throughout each half without a meaningful third scoring option in the dispiriting loss.

In a first quarter with fouls and stoppages, the pace of the gameplay remained entertaining and free of some of the replays and delays that have plagued other series. The Heat rained down a shower of threes in the stanza to grab an early lead. Boston received output from all of their starters, and Tatum’s free throws helped his team nearly match Miami 27-28.

Boston’s bench support helped wrest away the lead from the Heat early in the second, even with Jaquez, Jr. scoring well for the visitors. The action became far more helter skelter in this quarter, with bodies hitting the floor more often. Though the defenses were not quite turnstiles, Boston and Miami’s shotmaking and sharing the ball carried both well, but behind Brown’s 11-point personal flurry, the Celtics left the half up 61-58.

The Celtics’ offense stalled out a bit midway through the third quarter. Miami continued to spread the ball liberally around the perimeter to find open lanes and shooting spots. The Heat’s Herro and Boston’s Brown lit up the scoreboard throughout the stanza. Miami’s unheralded contributors pushed their lead up to 12 before Tatum started hitting from the field. The Heat did end the third up by six.

Observations

• It’s cool to see Al Horford has lasted as long as he has while still being relied upon as a contributor, and like Tim Duncan, never seems to age visually.
• Bad optics: the court reporter exuberantkly commented on Tatum’s new shoe as his team was down ten points in the third quarter.
• I still miss seeing Derrick White being able to get to anywhere he needs to deep in the paint in a Spurs uniform.
• Those post-isos by Adebayo are difficult to watch but they are effective.
• Bald White (13 points) and bald Porzingis (6 points) is a thing to behold. Unfortunately they both had suboptimal efforts tonight. (Right as I typed this, White scored six straight points.)
• From the onset, Boston was content leaving Nikola Jovic open and he knocked down a pair of threes. Tatum saw several of his first attempts go down and his early 10 points put the Celtics ahead. The majority of the white-hot Heat scoring came from behind the arc, as Jaquez, Jr. and Herro hit two straight threes to erase that advantage. The last of Tatum’s 14 points in the period drew the Celtics within one.
• Baby-faced assassin Sam Hauser deflected a pass from Kevin Love and nailed a corner three to start the second period. Holiday’s transition three put the Celtics up by five again. Caleb Martin’s pair of wing threes from opposite sides nudged Miami back ahead. Jovic and Brown exchanged leaning layups. Brown’s trio of threes in succession and a fast break lay-up energized the Celtics and they ended the half up 61-58.
• Jovic started the third quarter the same way he did from the tip-off – with a three. After the teams exchanged leads on a couple of acctions, Boston saw a handful of its attempts bounce out or off different parts of the rim, and the Heat took advantage. Herro set up Adebayo twice for thunderous jams. Brown single-handedly kept the Celtics hanging around with 18 of their 20 points spanning the second and third. A rampaging Martin muscled home two lay-ups to put Miami up a dozen. Tatum took the reins from Brown and helped Boston draw closer and Miami went into the fourth up 85-79.
• Miami’s first basket of the final quarter was of course a three from Delon Wright. White’s 6-0 personal run brought Boston within five. Haywood Highsmith’s timely threes kept the Heat comfortably ahead. A final push from Boston led by Tatum was answered fiercely by a Martin three and Herro lay-up. The Heat eked out enough stops to secure the win.