The going got tougher for league leaders Boston, who thrashed the Heat last month, as the Heat narrowed a 15-point third-quarter deficit to two points with under two minutes to go.
After a tussle in the first few minutes of the fourth period, in which Brown was called for a flagrant foul, Boston star Jaylen Brown and Miami’s Duncan Robinson got into an angry argument.
After being by the Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics kept their composure and defeated Miami.
Tatum finished with 26 points, 10 boards, and 9 assists.
The Celtics, led by Kristaps Porzingis (25 points), Brown (20 points), and Jrue Holiday (15 points), shot 16 of 39 from beyond the arc.
The second half was when Tyler Herro put up 22 of his 24 points. His 3-pointer with 1:49 left brought the Heat within 104–106, but Tatum and Porzingis were able to secure the victory at the charity stripe.
“They’re a good team, they’re going to go on runs,” added Tatum. “You’ve just got to withstand it and answer.”
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“We’re playing good basketball, but we’ve still got some ways to go,” remarked the player. “But I think we’re on the right direction.”
Due to a family tragedy, Jimmy Butler, the Heat’s leading scorer and assist producer, was unable to play.
Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson were both injured and lost for the team. In the third quarter, Rozier landed awkwardly on his right leg after driving to the hoop.
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Rebounding thunderThe sole other game played on Sunday was a 127-113 triumph over the Sacramento Kings by Western Conference contenders Oklahoma City, who ended a two-game losing streak.
Recovering off Saturday’s blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder were led by 38 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 32 from Jalen Williams.
With an 18-8 advantage halfway through the first quarter, the Thunder were intent on preserving their undefeated season streak.
“When we have a bad first quarter, it usually leads to our losses,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “We set the tone early and that gave us the edge the rest of the game.”
With a 17-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City held Sacramento to a final period in which they were unable to close the gap to seven points.
Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double for the Kings with 21 points, 11 boards, and 14 assists, while Malik Monk had 26 points in 26 minutes off the bench.
Averaging nearly 27 points per game, De’Aaron Fox was restricted to 15, and the Thunder scored 30 points off of 18 mistakes committed by the Kings.
“We got into a good rhythm,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated candidly. “We were playing fast, we were getting stops and when we get out in transition we’re the best version of ourselves.”