BOSTON — The Boston Celtics failed to keep their winning streak going at TD Garden as they fell to the Miami Heat, 120-116, in overtime on Friday night.
With the nail-biting loss, the Celtics fell to 18-5 on the season, while the Heat improved to 11-12 on their campaign.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Could anyone challenge the Celtics on their home floor? The Heat answered that challenge.
The Celtics, who had defended their parquet in playoff-like fashion night after night, just came up short in doing so once more. Unlike Wednesday’s 134-121 victory, this one wasn’t nearly as easy with Boston guilty as charged — committing 16 turnovers which lead to 14 Miami points by the end of the third quarter.
Not to mention star forward Jayson Tatum delivered his most uncharacteristic display of the season. The 24-year-old, who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October and November, scored a season-low 14 points while coming up empty on seven 3-point attempts.
While Jaylen Brown did his part, which included a jaw-dropping equalizer to force overtime, the Celtics came up just short.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Brown led the way for the Celtics with his 37-point, double-double showing. The 26-year-old also recorded 14 rebounds and shot 12-of-23 from the field which included a team-leading five 3-pointers — plus the clutch three to send the game into overtime.
— Marcus Smart followed for the runner-up in points for the Celtics. The 28-year-old delivered 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field with four rebounds and nine assists.
— Tyler Herro led a convincing Heat charge, scoring 26 points while also knocking down a game-leading six 3-point attempts to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook set the Over/Under of Tatum’s rebound total at 6.5 with -150 odds on the over. Tatum succeeded in clearing those odds and finished with eight rebounds in the contest. A $100 wager on the MVP-contending star would’ve resulted in a $166.67 payout.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will take the floor next on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets. Tipoff from Barclays Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
