The Boston Celtics' efforts to make a comeback in the second half came short in a thrilling Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals that the Miami Heat won 109-103 to take a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series.
The visiting Heat's lead surged to 21 points in the first quarter as the Celtics struggled to find their flow at TD Garden, and it was that advantage that the home team could not overcome, as per a Fox Sports report.
Heat Superstar Jimmy Butler missed the entire second half due to inflammation in his right knee that hindered him from stepping back on the court. He played 19 minutes in the first half but did not step out of the locker room to play for the second half.
Though, his teammates still managed to battle it out and maintain their lead until the final buzzer.
Adebayo Steps Up as Tatum Slumps
Bam Adebayo stepped up in Butler's absence. The center finished Game 3 with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
😤 Bam Adebayo set the tone for the @MiamiHEAT on offense and defense! #HEATCulture@Bam1of1: 31 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/fQFzi7VQ2l
— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2022
After the Heat took a 39-18 lead in the first quarter, Celtics fans were enraged, with boos echoing around the arena.
Eleven of the 18 Celtics' points came from Jaylen Brown while failing to convert all his attempts from the three-point area.
Despite the Celtics' opportunity to recuperate during the quarter-time breaks, the Heat continued to keep their foot on the gas as the visitors poured on the baskets and kept the fans quiet.
But Brown had a fantastic performance, making 14 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter to help his team rally to make a comeback.
They trimmed the Heat's advantage to 93-92 with 2:40 left on a Jaylen Brown 3-pointer. However, the Heat tightened up on defense late in the game and pulled away for the victory, per Yahoo! Sports.
Boston superstar Jayson Tatum only scored 10 points as he struggled throughout the game, with a 3 of 14 shooting performance, and only made 1 of 7 three-point attempts. This proves the efficiency of Miami's aggressive defensive strategy.
Tatum's lackluster output on offense was his lowest scoring record since Game 3 of the East semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. Also, it's the second time he scored below 15 points in the playoffs.
Despite the Brown's heroics, the Celtics failed to win the game as the best player on their roster had a tough time in making his shots.
Will Jimmy Butler Play in Game 4?
Meanwhile, per CBS News, the Miami Heat stated that forward Jimmy Butler left Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics with knee inflammation.
Butler has been dealing with a hurt knee in the postseason. In the first-round series of the playoffs, where the Heat played against the Atlanta Hawks, he missed Game 5 to an inflammation in his knee. However, it has not yet been identified what caused the flare-up in Jimmy's knee during the previous game as of present reporting.
According to Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Butler would not be required to undergo an MRI after failing to return in the second half of Game 3. Moreover, the six-time All-Star is expected to play in the succeeding games in the conference finals despite his knee condition, as per USA Today.
