The Boston Celtics could not recreate their Game 3 performance of the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 4. Boston dominated the box Saturday night, scoring 60 points in the paint while controlling the glass by out rebounding the Miami Heat by 12.
The Shamrocks were ready to bring that momentum to Wednesday’s night Game 4, only to fall short 109-112. Boston’s struggles have given Miami a commanding 3-1 lead, leaving them one win away from their first finals berth since the departure of Lebron James.
Wednesday night’s 37 point performance was a historic one for South Beach’s Tyler Herro, who broke Dwayne Wade’s record (27 points) for most points scored in a playoff game by a rookie in a Miami uniform. He also became the youngest player to score 30 points in a playoff game while coming off the bench.
Incredibly, the Kentucky product is right behind Earvin “Magic” Johnson (42 points) in most points scored in a playoff game by a player 20 years old or younger.
Largely due to Herro’s 17 fourth quarter points, Boston lost yet again another devastating game that was in the palm of their hands. Coach Brad Stevens’ Celtics were trailing by 12 in the third quarter, then took the lead in the fourth quarter with 8:53 minutes remaining. Going forward, the green committed five turnovers in those final eight minutes of gameplay.
Miami’s zone defense forced Boston to commit 19 turnovers. The Shamrocks shot themselves in the foot given how they had more rebounds (46 to 40), shot better from the field (47% to 43%) and finally shot better from the three-point line (35% to 27%) compared to The Heat’s Erik Spoelstra.
Tatum looked like a shell of himself during the first half. Not only was he scoreless, but ESPN commentators Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson noticed he was not playing like his normal self, nor exploding near the rim like he normally does.
ESPN sideline reporter Rachel Nichols took the initiative to ask Stevens if he was dealing with any injuries, to which he quickly responded, “not to my knowledge”. After some struggles in the first 24 minutes, The 6’8 star quickly dismissed any notion regarding his health when he scored 28 points in the second half.
With one more loss, the green will be eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, or better known as “The Bubble.” Game 5 of the series will be televised on ESPN on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Boston will be looking to join the Denver Nuggets as another team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in these playoffs.
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