Miami Heat: 5 takeaways from Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat need to remember the Boston Celtics have nothing to lose.
If the Miami Heat did anything 100 percent on Friday night, it was not respecting the Boston Celtics and the position they’ve been put in. For the rest of this series, this team is going to be playing with their backs against the wall, facing either victory or a plane ride home.
Miami’s lead at the half was nothing short of a hangover on the Celtics end. As soon as they got into halftime and talked over their adjustments, everything changed in their direction. Boston outscored the Heat 41-25 in the third quarter alone, all but sealing the Game 5 win.
The Miami Heat Lost game 5 in the 3rd Quarter. light. Related Story
Even in the fourth quarter, where they’ve played so well in the entire playoffs, Miami was sloppy. At no point in crunch time did Butler, Adebayo, or even Tyler Herro look locked in.
Whether it’s all to be chalked up to a poor shooting night overall, or a more aggressive and offputting Celtics defensive effort, the Heat’s effort on Friday can not be reproduced in Game 6. That is, if they want to win on Sunday, and advance on to the NBA Finals.
You can safely assume that’s the case, and they’ll come out energized in the next matchup.