(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics kept the series alive as they beat the Miami Heat 110-97 in game 5 as the Heat still lead the series 3-2. For the Celtics, Derrick White had 24 points, including six 3-pointers as Marcus Smart had 23 points and five steals while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points apiece. For the Heat, Duncan Robinson led the scoring with 18 points as Bam Adebayo added 16 points and eight rebounds while Butler had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, Caleb Martin finished with 14 points.
It was Butler’s lowest-scoring game of the playoffs as he had 16 points in Game 3, a blowout win by Miami as they had 16 turnovers. Heat now go back to Miami and this would be their best chance to close out the series, if they don’t they Celtics do the unthinkable and level the series. If that happens the Celtics will get home court advantage for game 7. Heat will try again to become the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals in the current format, which dates to 1984. While Celtics are looking to make history by becoming the first team in the NBA to comeback after a 3-0 series deficit.
“We’ve got to do whatever it takes to get a win,” White said.
“It just says that our backs are against the wall and we’re sticking together and we’re competing at a high level to give ourselves a chance,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
“We’re always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win the series,” the Heat’s Jimmy Butler said. “We just have to close it out at home.”
“One game doesn’t lead to the next game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It just doesn’t matter. It’s about collectively preparing and putting together a great game. We’ll play much better on Saturday. That’s all we just have to focus on right now.”
“I don’t want to say we’re surprised by it, but they raised their level,” Robinson said. “We’ve got to raise ours now as well.”
“I think now it’s a series,” Brown said
Also read: NBA: Celtics keep the series alive after their first win over Heat in the Eastern Conference finals
