Denver will still have to wait to know its opponent in the finals. Led by a quartet of players with more than 20 points, Derrick White (24 pts, 6/8 to 3 pts), Marcus Smart (23 pts, 4/6 to 3 pts), Jaylen Brown (21 pts) and Jayson Tatum (21 pts, 11 pts), not to mention the 11 rebounds of Al Horford, the Celtics clearly dominated Miami (110-97) Thursday, at TD Garden, in Game 5 of the series between the two teams in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference. And this even if the non-ranks of Florida reduced the gap at the very end of the meeting, during the "garbage time". After pocketing the first three games of the series, Erik Spoelstra's players now lead only 3-2 in a series totally revived by transfigured C's. They scored 27 points on Miami's 16 ball losses.
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Aggressive at the start, the C's were already raining the three points to make a first break (23-7). White planted one last at the buzzer of the end of the first quarter (35-20), for the road. Brown warmed up in turn (38-20), while it took 16 minutes of play to witness the first loss of ball of a starving Boston team. As the minutes went by, Miami finally raised the tone on defense, and Duncan Robinson (18 pts) did good in scoring (49-38). But everything was complicated for the Floridians, crushed in the fight. Their zone was not very effective and the hands of Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry (starter following Gabe Vincent's forfeit) were leaking: seven ball losses between them at the break! After a timeout, the Heat took a new shine, including triples from White and Smart (61-41). Unplayable! Boston led 61-44 at halftime with four players with 10 or more points, Brown (15 pts), White (14), Smart (13) and Tatum (12), and 44% from distance.
Miami never really believed it
Miami's reaction at the start of the second half? Not really, we left with a fourth loss of ball from Lowry, the latter being dunted on the muzzle by Horford in the wake ... Quite a symbol. And again, Boston was harvesting cartridges in transition (65-46)... But White still had a hot hand and ball losses continued to pile up for the Heat (76-55), who still managed to keep pace offensively. But at this little game, the momentum remained green (88-65). +18 Boston with 12 minutes to play (90-72). Joe Mazzilla's players increased their lead to +24 and coach Spoelstra was quick to recall Jimmy Butler (14 pts) and other executives on the bench. It was already time to prepare for Game 6, to switch in the heads, because the fate of this Game 5 was quickly no longer in doubt in this last quarter. And this despite the proximity of the second knives. Nobody believed it (107-97, and 110-97 final score).
Game 6 of these Eastern Conference finals will be on the night of May 27 to 28, at the Kaseya Center in Miami (2:30 am, French time). In the event of Game 7, the two teams would meet at TD Garden on the night of May 29-30 (2:30 a.m.). Meanwhile, the Nuggets of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are recharging the batteries. They will receive the future champion of the East on the night of June 1 to 2 (2:30 am) during the first game of the 2023 Finals.