Celtics Suffer Rare Defeat and Yes, The Butler Did It

Jimmy Butler delivers a strong double-double (25 points, 15 rebounds) for the Miami Heat as Miami snapped Boston's five-game winning streak with a 120-116 victory.

Sporting the best record in the NBA, the taste of defeat is something the Boston Celtics know little about other than consistently serving it to others.

Well, they got a bit of their own cooking from the Miami Heat which leaned on solid defense and timely shot-making to snap Boston’s five-game winning streak with a 120-116 victory.

Jimmy Butler managed to once again do Jimmy Butler-like things with a slew of clutch baskets down the stretch in regulation as well as in overtime.

But the Celtics reminded us all that even on those nights when they're not at their best, they can still position themselves to win.

Even though Miami was the better team for most of the fourth quarter, there were the Celtics, forcing overtime with a deep 3-pointer from Jaylen Brown.

But as the overtime minutes bled into the final seconds of play, it was clear that on this night, there would be no escaping the jaws of defeat for Boston.

And that’s OK.

Because if there’s one thing this game proved, it’s that beating Boston isn’t going to be something an opponent will do on your own.

For Miami to have won, it took Jayson Tatum having one of his worst games of the season shooting, the bench struggling to score or make much of an impact for most of the game, and Boston committing 20 turnovers.

With all that, the game still went into overtime.

And if you’re the Celtics, you can absolutely live with that, knowing that all those scenarios to play out will be few and far between this season or more importantly, during the playoffs.

The loss is disappointing, for sure.

But it doesn’t take away from the fact that even in defeat, the Celtics remain the team to beat in the NBA.

STARS

Jimmy Butler: There have been too many games to count where Butler’s impact as a scorer is undeniable. Against the Celtics on Friday, Butler showcased his ability to control the glass as well. He would finish with a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds, along with 3 assists.

Jaylen Brown: With Jayson Tatum in foul trouble, Jaylen Brown morphed into a matchup nightmare for the Miami Heat, getting points from all levels on the floor. He would lead the Celtics with 37 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field to go with 14 rebounds and 5 assists.

Bam Adebayo: The Boston Celtics had major matchup problems with Adebayo whose play was a big reason behind the Heat outscoring Boston 54-46 on points in the paint. He would lead the Heat with 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

STUDS

Tyler Herro: For most of the first half, Tyler Herro was having a very Tyler Herro-like game with points being scored by him as well as whoever he was supposed to be guarding. He would finish the game with 26 points for the Heat along with five rebounds. 

Grant Williams: After a lackluster first half for the Celtics bench, Grant Williams provided a much-needed boost offensively in the second half. In the third quarter alone, he hit back-to-back 3’s that kept Boston’s lead in double figures. Williams would finish the game with 18 points which included 4-for-6 from 3-point range.

UH-UHS

Second-chance points: Miami came into Friday’s game averaging 12.3 second-chance points per game, which ranked No. 23 in the NBA. They had 15 of their 22 second-chance points in the first half. It was a rare sight to see against the Celtics, who came into the game allowing just 13.4 second-chance points per game. 

Jayson Tatum: Usually a double-double scoring and rebounding night is a good thing for Jayson Tatum. But “good” isn’t a word of choice in describing his play on Friday, especially when considering how he struggled shooting the ball. He would finish with 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting from the field (0-for-7 on 3s) to go along with 12 rebounds and 3 assists.