Heat looking to finish series against Celtics in Boston
MIAMI - "Our guys really want this, but Boston has something to say about it, just like we do," said Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra following the Heat's Game 4 loss.
The Celtics left Miami Tuesday night with a 116-99 victory, avoiding the 4-0 series sweep, and now force a Game 5 in Boston.
Jayson Tatum, who struggled shooting the ball in Game 3, led all scorers, with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.
Jalen Brown scored 17 points for the Celtics.
The Heat, who had a 56-50 led at halftime, were outscored 66-43 in the second half.
Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 29 points and 9 rebounds.
Despite the loss, Butler remains confident.
"If anything, this will build momentum for us, knowing we need to play with a lot more energy," Butler said in the Game 4 post game conference.
And now with the momentum heading back to Boston, the Heat are looking to play spoiler on their homecourt, similar to how the Celtics were in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
But this postseason the Celtics have struggled at home, having a 4-5 record, whereas the Heat have a 5-3 record on the road.
Should the Heat wrap up the series, they will play a determined and hungry Denver Nuggets squad led by the 2-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in the NBA Finals.
Tip-off for Game 5 is scheduled at 8:30 p.m. from TD Garden.