Miami stuns Boston in Game 2, ties series At 1-1

MIAMI Heat relied on their scorching three-point shooting to upset Boston Celtics, 111-101, in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference first round series on Wednesday night (Thursday in the Philippines) at the TD Garden is Boston, Massachusetts.

Tyler Herro led the way with 24 points, including six three-point conversions, to go with 14 assists, five rebounds, and a steal as the Heat tied their best-of-seven series at 1-1.

Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin added 21 markers apiece, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović contributed 14 and 11, respectively, for the Heat, which converted a season-high of 23 triples in the contest.

The Heat also pulled off the series-tying win despite the absence of injured star players Jimmy Butler (MCL), Terry Rozier (neck), and Josh Richardson (shoulder).

After squandering their first half lead, the Heat were blazing to start the third quarter behind inside hits by Adebayo and triples from Herro, Martin, Jović, Haywood Highsmith, and Duncan Robinson for an 85-79 lead.

The Celtics tried to keep the match close early in the fourth quarter, but timely conversions from Herro, Jaquez, and Adebayo down the stretch allowed the Heat to pull off the victory.

Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with 33 points, including four three-point conversions, while Jason Tatum and Derrick White contributed 28 and 13, respectively.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 2-0 series lead after a convincing 124-92 Game 2 victory over New Orleans Pelicans at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 33 points, five assists, and three rebounds, while Rookie of the Year candidate Chet Holmgren added 26 points and seven rebounds in the win.

Dallas Mavericks, on the other hand, tied their series with Los Angeles Clippers at 1-1 after a 96-93 Game 2 win. Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavs with 32 points, nine assists, and six rebounds./PN

BOX SCORE:

MIAMI 111 — Herro 24, Adebayo 21, Martin 21, Jaquez 14, Jović 11, Highsmith 9, Robinson 6, Wright 5, Love 0.

BOSTON 101 — Brown 33, Tatum 28, White 13, Holiday 9, Hauser 6, Horford 6, Porzingis 6, Pritchard 0.

Quarterscores: 28-27, 58-61, 85-79, 111-101.