Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat got a crucial and needed victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. It was one that practically set them on the path to controlling their own NBA playoff destiny, which should essentially mean no “play-in” game for Miami.
With that though, it has to be noted how the Miami Heat went about their business on this Mother’s Day Sunday. Coming out firing on all cylinders, the Miami Heat dominated the first half against the Celtics, to a tune of 79-53.
It was an apex performance by the Miami Heat in the first half. Luckily for them, they were able to peak early though, as they wouldn’t be able to maintain that same kind of pace throughout.
They made the right kind of defensive plays at the right times though. Where the Celtics were able to score 30 points in the second period, still 13 less than the Heat did in that period with 43, they only scored one more point than that in the third period.
After a crucial Miami Heat win over the Boston Celtics, you have to ask… are they peaking at the right time?
Neither of those are great numbers to give up, but it does show that the Miami Heat sort of maintained some sort of consistency. Though things got tight for the Miami Heat down the stretch, the offense they were able to display, at points, is something that hasn’t been seen from them this season.
Though the defense wasn’t great on Sunday, the type of defense they can play at full capacity has been displayed and is the type that can absolutely stifle offenses. If you combine that with what they showed from an offensive perspective in the win over the C’s, then the sky is still the limit for this team.
You hear it all the time in sports, the common cliché of peaking at the right time. Well, this Miami Heat team appears to be doing just that.
With another matchup against this same Celtics team on Tuesday, a two game lead on them in the standings for sixth place, and a tie with a Hawks team who has two games against a scary Wizards team fighting for a play-in berth coming up, things could get really interesting for Miami. The Knicks won on Sunday, widening their lead on the fourth seed but if the Heat can get to five, then that doesn’t really matter.
They have a shot and the meter is leaning… optimistic at the moment. A huge part of that is that is because they seem to be showing the right kind of life at the right time.