Celtics turn up the Heat on Miami, even up best-of-seven series

Boston opened with a 7-0 run and never looked back in what was yet another dominant performance by the winning team. The series moves back to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday.

There’s something about the taste of defeat that brings out the best in the Boston Celtics.

In Boston’s four previous losses in the playoffs this year, they bounced back with undeniable success with the average margin of victory by 17.3 points.

So it came as no surprise that the Celtics came out and delivered a powerful response in Game 4, wasting no time in putting away the Miami Heat and emerging with a 102=82 win.

Even with Marcus Smart (ankle) out, the Celtics were hell-bent on getting off to a better start than we saw in their Game 3 loss.

Leading the way early on was Derrick White, in the starting lineup for Smart.

He scored the game's first seven points, setting the tone in an emphatic 29-11 first quarter for Boston. Boston's lead would continue to grow, with the Celtics control never threatened.

The series shifts back to Miami for Game 5, a series that has seen both teams show their ability to dominate the other, both at home and on the road.

In each of the first four games, the eventual winner led at some point by at least 20 points.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Boston’s series-tying win.

STARS

Jayson Tatum: It didn’t take Jayson Tatum long to make up for a horrific shooting performance from Game 3. On Monday in Game 4, Tatum scored 12 of his game-high 31points in the first quarter. To put that in perspective, Tatum had a total of just 10 points in Boston’s Game 3 loss.

STUDS

Derrick White: With Marcus Smart (ankle) out for Game 4, Derrick White was in the starting lineup and set the tone in a way few saw coming - with his scoring. Boston opened the game with a 7-0 run, with all seven points being scored by White. For the game, White had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists along with three steals.

Al Horford: The points didn’t come as plentiful as we’ve seen from Horford lately, but the job he did in defending Bam Adebayo along with his control of the glass, were major factors in Boston’s victory. Horford scored five points but also grabbed 13 rebounds along with four blocked shots.

Victor Oladipo: One of the few bright spots for the Heat, Victor Oladipo looked a lot like the Oladipo from his days as an All-Star. He would lead Miami with 23 points.

DUDS

Jimmy Butler: It’s unclear if Jimmy Butler just had a bad game, or whether the inflammation he experienced in his right knee in Game 3, was limiting his ability to make an impact in Game 4. Regardless, Butler struggled during the 27-plus minutes he played on Monday. For the game, Butler had six points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field.

Max Strus: His shooting makes him a target for most defenses. But in Game 4, the Celtics were clearly targeting him as a matchup they felt they could exploit. Indeed, Boston found lots of success with Celtics players taking advantage of Strus’ struggles as a defender. He would finish the game scoreless, missing all seven of his shots from the field.

Kyle Lowry: Like Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry never got into any kind of flow or rhythm which heavily factored in Miami’s struggles. Lowry had three points, missing five of his six shot attempts.