BOSTON — Despite getting off to an ugly postseason start in Game 1, the Heat put their mental toughness on full display Wednesday, earning a 111-101 Game 2 victory to even up their series at 1-1 with the Celtics.
In deja vu fashion, Miami turned an improbable mountain climb into a stunning upset, setting a franchise playoff record by hitting 23 3-pointers throughout the night. Playing undermanned, the game plan was set and everyone in TD Garden and watching from the outside knew the Heat would run their offense on outside shooting. Yet, that awareness did nothing for the Celtics who fell apart and granted Miami new life in the series.
“We’re here. Anything can happen,” Miami’s Tyler Herro explained, per TNT’s postgame coverage. “We don’t wanna mention last year, but this year’s a whole new year. We’re not fully healthy but we got a bunch of guys that wanna play, who wanna be out here and make a difference. We just love to compete and that’s all it’s about.”
Herro was a vital part of Miami’s offense, scoring 24 points while dishing out 14 assists and helping get nearly everyone involved in the 3-point parade. The visitors stole Boston’s blueprint from Game 1, with a much less-talented, but grittier group, and flipped the script in the blink of an eye.
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Heat teammate Caleb Martin, who garnered all the controversy and boos in Game 2 after committing a dirty foul in Game 1, was Miami’s source of toughness. Martin wasn’t fazed by the rowdy TD Garden crowd and put all the noise aside to knock down 5-of-6 threes, shooting with more confidence than anyone else on the floor.
Yet, while Miami carried its momentum which can be traced back to its 35-point fourth quarter in Game 1, the Heat aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
“One game is one game,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said, per team-provided video. “Just like this win, it’s just one win. Series are potentially long and they’re tough. And you have to stay emotionally and mentally stable throughout all of it. And you have to focus on competing at a high level together, doing things that lead to winning, and keeping your emotions in check — which is easier said than done.”
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With a clean slate and a home-court advantage as the series heads to Miami, the Celtics will need to buckle down if they intend not to be the biggest embarrassment of the NBA this season.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
