Celtics' offensive onslaught, led by Brown's 43 points, crushes Heat's playoff aspirations. Miami's season teeters precariously.
With an opportunity to carve a way out of the Play-In Tournament, the Miami Heat’s chances get worse after a 147-129 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. Both teams started hot offensively, making the first nine of 10 field goals. However, the Celtics pull away after a 73.3 percent shooting from behind the arc outing, making 11 of 15 attempts.
Jaylen Brown led the charge with 20 points on 72.7 percent shooting, including a couple of three-pointers made, in 10 first-quarter minutes. The 29-year-old scored 11 consecutive points in the early portions, establishing momentum. Brown is having an MVP-caliber season and showed out at the Kaseya Center.
The five-time All-Star finished with a game-high 43 points on 58.6 percent shooting, including four three-pointers made, three rebounds, and seven assists in 37 minutes.
The Heat’s offense wasn’t as efficient or didn’t meet the same volume as the Celtics in the first half. They finished on 36.7 percent shooting, 42.8 percent from behind the arc in the first 24 minutes of regulation. The team had minimal opportunities to score on a fast break because the Celtics only committed [total number of Celtics turnovers here]. As hardly any mistakes were made, it resulted in the lack of extra possessions.
The Heat found a spark in the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 45-32, plus making 11 three-pointers on 15 attempts. They went on a 12-0 run in the final two minutes, including a three-pointer by Davion Mitchell to beat the buzzer. The deficit, which was as large as 27, was cut to 10 entering the fourth quarter.
However, the Celtics managed to stay ahead without faltering and never let go of the rope. After the final four minutes of the first quarter, they never trailed.
Jayson Tatum recorded his first triple-double since Feb. 20, 2025. The 28-year-old finished with 25 points on 42.9 percent shooting, including four three-pointers made, a season-high 18 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals in 37 minutes. The six-time All-Star has hardly missed a step since returning from a ruptured right Achilles tendon, which occurred on May 12, 2025.
The Heat had six players score in double-figures and tied a franchise-record 24 three-pointers made, but it wasn’t enough against the Celtics’ high-power offense. Bam Adebayo led with a team-high 29 points on 47.6 percent shooting, including five three-pointers made, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 38 minutes. Mitchell followed with his best game of the season: 21 points on 53.3 percent shooting, including five three-pointers made, two rebounds, and seven assists in 40 minutes.
The team falls to a 40-37 record, dropping to 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. They only have five games remaining on the regular season schedule. The Heat virtually have a chance to get out of the Play-In Tournament, but the odds are slim to none. They will face the Washington Wizards on Saturday before back-to-back matchups against the Raptors in Toronto.
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