Derrick White had an outstanding game, scoring a career-high 38 points, while Jayson Tatum contributed with 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 102-88 on Monday night. This victory gives the Celtics a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Jaylen Brown added 17 points, and Jrue Holiday scored 11 for the Celtics, who lost Kristaps Porzingis to a right calf injury in the first half. Despite this setback, the Celtics continued their dominance over Miami, winning their sixth consecutive game at Miami and boasting a 14-3 record in their last 17 games at the Heat’s home court.
Miami, missing injured starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, relied heavily on Bam Adebayo, who finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists.
Despite their efforts, the Heat struggled offensively once again, scoring only 84 points in Game 3 and facing similar challenges in Game 4. Tyler Herro contributed 19 points, and Caleb Martin added 18 for the Heat.
The Celtics have a chance to advance to the second round on Wednesday in Game 5, which they will host. The winner of the Boston-Miami series will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
