Heat Collapse in Familiar Fashion as Celtics Storm Back from 21 Down
For the Miami Heat, the third quarter has become a recurring nightmare-and Friday night against the Boston Celtics was just the latest installment. After building a commanding 21-point lead by halftime, Miami unraveled in the third, outscored 36-15 in a stretch that flipped the game on its head and ultimately led to a gut-wrenching loss.
Early on, the Heat looked sharp. Energized.
Connected. Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo set the tone offensively, and the team played with a level of intensity on both ends that had been missing in recent outings.
Miami was crisp with their ball movement, active defensively, and simply outworking Boston through the first 24 minutes.
But then came that dreaded third quarter.
Boston, ice-cold from deep in the first half (just 1-of-17 from three), found their rhythm in the second. Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White all got hot at the same time, and once the Celtics started knocking down shots, the momentum shifted fast-and hard. Suddenly, Miami’s offense stalled, their defensive rotations slipped, and that big lead evaporated.
Brown led the charge with 29 points, setting the tone with his physicality and shot-making. Pritchard added 24, continuing his stretch of confident play, and White chipped in 21 of his own. The trio was relentless, combining for timely buckets and key stops that kept Miami from regaining control.
Adding to Boston’s surge was the debut of new big man Nikola Vucevic, who came off the bench and delivered a steady 11-point, 12-rebound double-double in 28 minutes. His presence on the boards and ability to stretch the floor gave Boston another dimension, and his contributions didn’t go unnoticed in a game that came down to the wire.
Still, Miami didn’t fold. Not completely.
Wiggins was outstanding, once again showcasing the two-way skill set that’s made him such a valuable piece this season. He poured in a team-high 26 points on a hyper-efficient 10-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from deep, while pulling down six boards and swiping two steals. This was vintage 3-and-D Wiggins, and he nearly willed the Heat to a win down the stretch.
Powell, fresh off a three-game absence and recently named a first-time All-Star, brought the juice. He looked fresh and aggressive, tallying 24 points on 9-of-15 from the field. His ability to attack off the dribble and create his own shot gave Miami a needed boost, especially as Adebayo cooled off after a hot start.
Speaking of Bam, he came out strong with 10 points in the opening quarter but couldn’t sustain that momentum. He finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds on 38% shooting-a quieter night by his standards, especially given how dominant he looked early.
Unfortunately for Miami, the bench didn’t offer much support. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio, and Kel’el Ware all struggled to make an impact, and Nikola Jovic’s six-minute stint in the third quarter proved costly. Jovic went 0-for-5 from the field and finished a minus-14 in his brief time on the floor-numbers that speak to just how quickly things unraveled when he checked in.
Even so, the Heat had a shot late. Clutch plays from Wiggins and Powell gave Miami a chance to steal it in the closing minutes.
But with the game on the line, it was Davion Mitchell who had the ball-and things didn’t go as planned. Two consecutive poor offensive possessions, including a missed wide-open corner three with under 10 seconds left, sealed Miami’s fate.
With the loss, the Heat drop to 27-26 on the season and slide to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re now 0-3 against the Celtics this year-a tough pill to swallow for a team trying to find consistency as the playoff race heats up.
Next up: a Super Bowl Sunday road matchup in Washington. Miami will be looking to bounce back-and hoping to finally solve their third-quarter woes before they become a season-defining issue.