Boston Celtics stay alive in NBA Eastern Conference with victory at Miami Heat

MIAMI – The Boston Celtics are not ready to start their holiday just yet.

In fact, their convincing performance on Tuesday night suggests that they are serious in their bid to spark a comeback in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference Finals.

Jayson Tatum collected 33 points and 11 rebounds as the visiting Celtics staved off elimination with a 116-99 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 4 at the Kaseya Centre.

The forward made 14 of 22 shot attempts from the floor – including four of nine from three-point range. He also had seven assists for the second-seeded Celtics, who trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading into Thursday’s Game 5 in Boston.

After the Heat’s 128-102 win last Sunday, the Celtics were facing the possibility of a humiliating 4-0 exit but they will now be looking to put further pressure on Miami.

“Now we just have to go win another one, that’s all that matters,” said Marcus Smart, who finished with 11 points.

“We’re taking it one game at a time. We understand that the odds are stacked against us, but we’re a team that believe in us no matter what, and all that matters is the next game.”

The odds are precisely that – no team in NBA history have ever come back from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven play-off series, but Boston will have drawn belief that they can now deliver a historic comeback and reach the NBA Finals where the Denver Nuggets await.

“We weren’t thinking about winning four in a row tonight, we were just trying to save our season and win tonight and we did that,” said Tatum.

Jaylen Brown added 17 points and Derrick White scored 16 to help the Celtics prevent Miami from becoming the second eighth-seeded team to advance to the NBA Finals. The 1998-99 New York Knicks accomplished the feat during a lockout-shortened season.

Grant Williams scored 14 points off the bench and Al Horford added 12 points and seven rebounds for Boston, who turned the tide by outscoring the Heat 38-23 in the third quarter.

The Celtics shot 51.2 per cent from the floor (43 of 84) for the game and 40 per cent from three-point range (18 of 45), outperforming the Heat (43.6 per cent and 25 per cent respectively).

“We have to keep that same level of intensity, same mindset, same focus for the next game,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, two days after he pointed the finger at himself following his team’s lacklustre Game 3 loss.

Miami star Jimmy Butler overcame a slow start to record 29 points and nine rebounds. He was quick to disagree when a reporter asked if the momentum is now with Boston.

“No. If anything, it will build momentum for us, knowing we have to play with a lot more energy,” he said.

“We have to play like our backs are against the wall. All year long we’ve been better when we have to do things the hard way.”

He added that he would not be taking a different approach in the wake of the loss.

“(I’ll) do the same thing that I do after every game. Listen to some music, drink some beers back there, go and have some wine. I don’t think that you can just focus on basketball,” Butler said.

“You have to be able to get away from the game. We’re going to smile and be in this thing together, like we always are, and go and win one on the road.”

Gabe Vincent scored 17 points and Caleb Martin added 16 off the bench for the Heat, who fell to 6-1 at home in the play-offs. REUTERS, AFP