The Miami Heat had a shot to close the door on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday. They didn’t and the 3rd quarter is the reason why.
The Miami Heat had the chance to close out their Eastern Conference Finals series on Friday, while giving themselves the shot to sit and rest as their potential opponents in the West continued to do battle. They weren’t able to do that.
Entering Friday’s Game 5 contest up 3-1 in their series over the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat needed just one win to walk away from the game as the NBA’s Eastern Conference Champions this season.
They came out aggressive and with great energy, as it appeared at times early on that they would be the ones to run away with the game. It was not to be though, as with the rest of this series, the team that was down would eventually pull close but this time it was the Celtics.
Fast-forwarding to the second half, it was this half that killed the Miami Heat on Friday. “As usual” you are probably thinking, as the fourth quarter is naturally a team’s last shot with it being the last quarter and all.
Yea, typically. Here though, it was the third quarter that killed the Miami Heat in Game 5.
The Miami Heat weren’t able to close the Eastern Conference Finals out on Friday in Game 5.
Jayson Tatum went all Jayson Tatum. He scored 17 of his 31 points in that period.
On top of his individual outburst, the Celtics team scored 41 points in that third period. Yea… about that 41 points allowed by the Miami Heat, it’s a pretty big deal.
41 points ties the most ever allowed by the Miami Heat in a postseason quarter.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 26, 2020
Ever.
Celtics 92-83 with 12:00 left.
If you’re the Miami Heat, you can’t nearly be on the wrong side of making history and expect to win games. This goes double when your three-point shot as a team hasn’t been falling over the last few games.
That’s another thing that should give hope heading into Sunday’s Game 6 contest though. By some stroke of luck or grace from the basketball gods themselves, the Miami Heat might find their shooting touch again.
I mean, just look at Jae Crowder for example. He’s gone from being a 40 percent volume shooter from deep for the most of his time with Miami this year, in and out of the bubble, to going 6-33 over the last four games.
That’s a whopping 18 percent. Yea, let’s just say he is really in a slump.
The Miami Heat have a chance to come out and do it again in two days though. If this game and the way they ended up losing weren’t enough inspiration, the next two days’ worth of storylines should be enough.
I hope for and expect them to come out with more focus and for 48 minutes on Sunday. They better, or the pressure cooker will get that much more intense.