05/01/24 10:32:00
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05/01 22:30 CDT Celtics advance to East semifinals, beating short-handed Heat
118-84 in Game 5
Celtics advance to East semifinals, beating short-handed Heat 118-84 in Game 5
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) --- If this playoff run is about redemption for the Boston Celtics,
it had to start with exacting some revenge against the Miami Heat.
A year ago, Miami embarrassed Boston in a Game 7 showdown at TD Garden.
This time, the Celtics returned the favor.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the Celtics advanced
to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the short-handed Heat 118-84 in
Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Boston will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series. The Cavaliers lead
3-2, with Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night.
Brown said they went into the game with a business-like approach.
"It is a lot of history, back and forth. But it didn't matter who it was,"
Brown said. "We just had to get the job done."
That was echoed by teammate Jayson Tatum.
"I think this is my fourth time playing them in playoffs," Tatum said. "They
all count the same. ... We did our job. We took care of business."
Brown also had six assists, and White hit five 3-pointers. Sam Hauser added 17
points and Tatum had 16 points and 12 rebounds, The top-seeded Celtics never
trailed and led by 37 points.
Bam Adebayo scored 23 points and Tyler Herro had 15 for Miami, which made its
first exit from the playoffs prior to the conference finals since 2021. The
Heat struggled throughout, going 3 of 29 from 3-point range.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it was clear early that the Celtics were playing
with some extra energy from the opening tap.
"They probably had something to motivate them even more against us," he said.
Despite the lopsided loss and the way their season ended, Adebayo said he is
taking lessons into the offseason.
"We've gained a lot of mental toughness," he said. "Going through that as a
captain, it helped me understand that the ship's going to get rocky sometimes.
Boston played for the first time this postseason without center Kristaps
Porzingis after he strained his right calf in the Celtics' Game 4 victory. His
teammates filled in the gaps, as the Celtics' lead reached 30 points in the
first half.
Boston exploited a Heat team that was the most injured it'd been in the series.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. sat out after suffering a hip injury in Game 4. He was
replaced in the lineup by Delon Wright, marking the 37th starting five the Heat
used this season. Jaquez joined Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck),
who had both been sidelined since the start of the series.
It made for unique rotations for Miami, which included veteran Patty Mills
logging minutes for just the third time in the series.
Boston seized on the vulnerabilities in the Heat's defense, spreading them out
and knocking down eight 3-pointers in the opening period. It helped the Celtics
carry an 18-point lead into the second quarter.
The highlight of the opening 12 minutes came courtesy of White, who pulverized
Miami from long distance with eight 3s in Game 4. He stayed on the attack early
Wednesday, faking a 3-point attempt and then driving in for an uncontested
one-handed dunk.
White played to the home crowd afterward, holding his hand in front of his face
as he backpedaled up the court. After the Heat called a timeout, a courtside
fan near the Celtics' bench could be seen pantomiming fanning White on the
sideline.
"I think that's when I'm at my best, when I'm having fun out there," White
said. "But at the same time realizing this is a best moment and we're all
locked into it."
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This story has been changed to correct that the Celtics led by as many as 37
points, not 35.
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