ECF Celtics v Heat | Game 4 Recap

Celtics 116 @ Heat 99 | Kaseya Center | Miami, FL | MIA leads series 3-1

Boston Shows Fight in Miami

The Boston Celtics faced off against the Miami Heat in game 4 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Boston showed great resilience, securing a 116-99 victory over Miami. Unlike the Lakers the night before, Boston was able to stave off elimination for at least one more game. Miami will get another chance to secure their spot in the NBA Finals on Thursday night in Boston.

The Celtics came into the game looking to just extend the series down 3-0. They got off to a hot start, with Jayson Tatum leading the charge with a double-double scoring 33 points and nabbing 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown also had a good night, adding 17 points of his own. The duo from Beantown got contributions from across the roster with six Boston players in double digits. Boston hitting 17 threes was the biggest change from the way they played the first three games. Their depth is what gives them a legit chance to buck the history of teams being 0-150 when going down 0-3 in a series. It's not likely, to be clear, but they have the talent and defensive capability to make it happen.

Miami struggled to keep up with Boston's relentless pace. Despite Jimmy Butler's best efforts, scoring 29 points and 9 rebounds, the Heat were unable to close the gap. The supporting cast around Butler didn't show up the way we have discussed has had a new guy show up on a nightly basis during this unlikely playoff run. Kevin Love and Max Strus barely combined for a double- double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Celtics' bench players however made a significant contribution, with Grant Williams and Robert Williams III combining for 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

One of the biggest storylines leading up to game 4 was the absence of Miami's star player, Tyler Herro. The Heat guard is a vital piece of their team, both offensively and defensively. Without him, you heard a collective sigh in Miami when Gabe Vincent came down awkwardly on his left ankle. Herro's status for the series is uncertain, but his presence will undoubtedly make a difference for the Heat when he is no longer in a bucket hat on the bench. Until then, Miami needs the players actually on the court to produce the way they have up until Tuesday night.

Boston now has a glimmer of hope to extend the series and potentially come back from a 3-0 deficit, which as we have heard ad nauseam, has never been done before in NBA history. However, they still have a tall task ahead of them. They need to win three more games in a row against a Miami team that has proven to be resilient throughout the playoffs. But if Boston continues to shoot the ball well and get contributions from their deep roster, they may just have a chance.

Miami will also need to re-find their defensive dominance and stroke from deep. They were an abysmal 8-32 from beyond the arch and a terrible 34-78 from inside it. This is in stark contrast from the first three games of the series where Miami was stroking over 40% from three, and 60% from the field. Every team has a cold night, Miami must make sure it doesn't turn into a cold streak.

Jimmy Butler seemed unbothered starting his post-game presser by singing "...everything is gonna be alright" and when asked how the team can avoid getting to low. He said "Stay consistent, do the same thing that I do, that we do after every game. We're gonna listen to some music, you know, we gone drink some beers back there. Finna go have some wine. I don't think you can just focus on basketball all the time."

Miami needs to listen to Jimmy and regroup and come out strong in game 5. They will look to Butler and Adebayo to lead the way, along with their supporting cast. The Heat have shown that they can bounce back from a tough loss, and Thursday's game will be their chance to prove it once again.