02/06/26 09:40:00
Printable Page
02/06 21:38 CST Celts rally from 22-point deficit to edge Heat, 98-96
Celts rally from 22-point deficit to edge Heat, 98-96
By BRENDAN McGAIR
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) --- Jaylen Brown had 29 points while Payton Pritchard scored 24
points to help the Boston Celtics make their biggest comeback of the season,
rallying from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Miami Heat 98-96 on Friday night.
Derrick White hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:31 remaining that provided
the Celtics --- winners of five straight --- the final margin. White shot 6 of
20 but ended up with 21 points.
Nikola Vucevic had a double-double in his first game with the Celtics,
finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Boston made 9 of its final 15 shots
from 3 after missing 20 of 21 from deep to start the game.
Miami had a chance to win it in regulation, but Davion Mitchell missed a
3-pointer from the corner with 2.7 seconds remaining. Andrew Wiggins led the
Heat with 26 points while All-Star Norman Powell had 24 points.
Miami wasted little time serving notice that it would be a long first half for
Boston. The Heat jumped out to a 15-2 lead and led by as many 22 points before
pulling into halftime up 59-38. The Celtics shot just 28% during the first two
quarters, but things changed in the third quarter.
Up 67-49, Miami watched as Boston outscored the visitors 25-7 over the final
7:06 of the third quarter. White and Pritchard started the comeback with
back-to-back 3-pointers, then Pritchard hit a 3 coming out of a timeout that
cut Miami's lead to 67-58.
White gave Boston its first lead of the game when he knocked down two free
throws that snapped a 72-all score with 9.1 seconds left in the third, but
Powell's layup at the buzzer knotted it at 74-74 heading into the fourth.
Acquired at the trade deadline, Vucevic received a nice hand from the TD Garden
crowd when the veteran forward checked in at 8:58 of the first quarter. The
35-year-old was serenaded with chants of "Voooch!" after finishing inside for a
pair of hoops as part of the Celtics' third-quarter surge.
Boston has now won all three meetings against Miami.
Up next
Heat: at Washington on Sunday.
Celtics: host Knicks on Sunday.
___
NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
|
