Celtics eliminated in Game 6 loss to Miami

For all that has been made of the Celtics’ young stars, a young star from the other side sent them home for the season Sunday night.

Bam Adebayo, a relentless presence throughout the Eastern Conference Finals, produced his best game with 32 points (11-for-15), 14 rebounds and five assists – certainly enough to hasten the Celtics’ 125-113 Game 6 loss.

The loss marked the third conference finals elimination of the Brad Stevens era. The Celtics coach has yet to take the next step – a trip to the NBA Finals.

Defense, the Celtics’ version of the cavalry, appeared a little too late Sunday night. And even when they responded with their best ball pressure of the night early in the fourth quarter, Miami pushed through coverage with a game-flipping run.

Though four Celtics scored 20 or more points, led by Jaylen Brown’s 26, they were unable to get the requisite stops.

Back-to-back hoops from Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro – the first a 3-pointer and the latter with an off-the-dribble banker – gave Miami a 109-102 lead with 4:25 left. The Celtics came out of a timeout with a Kemba Walker miss, and, with Daniel Theis fouled out and the Celtics in the penalty, Andre Iguodala  hit once for a 110-102 Miami lead.

Jayson Tatum missed a tightly-guarded shot from the corner, and Herro drove for his 10th point of the quarter. Marcus Smart missed from downtown, and was hit in the mouth by Butler during a drive on the other end.

Tatum hit the ensuing technical foul free throw and Butler, fouled on the play, hit twice for a 114-102 lead.

The Celtics produced another empty possession – this time with misses from Brown and Smart – and Butler scored again for a 14-point lead.

Brown hit two free throws for the Celtics’ first scoring in two-and-a-half minutes, but with two minutes left Robinson buried a 3-pointer for a 15-point lead.

Goran Dragic’s drive gave Miami an 88-86 lead just before the end of the third quarter, after a defense-to-offense push – the Celtics’ only real ball pressure to this point – had briefly forced a tie.

Adebayo, after a sub-par Game 5 performance, had bounced back with 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting and seven rebounds by the start of the fourth quarter. Grant Williams was sent in early in the quarter as an Adebayo deterrent, and with his defense helped fuel the Celtics’ first strong move of the night.

Walker opened the fourth with a game-tying 10-footer, and Brown, after stealing the ball from Butler, dunked for a brief lead, but appeared to injure his ankle upon landing.

But he stayed in the game, and Smart’s baseline jumper was good for a 92-90 lead. Butler committed a loose ball foul on Smart the next time down, and Tatum hit two free throws with 9:54 left for a 94-90 lead – the Celtics’ largest to this point.

Brown extended the run with another transition drive off a steal – he had a team-high 22 points at this stage – for a six-point lead.

Tyler Herro’s first 3-pointer of the night cut the Celtics lead to 96-94, and the Heat guard came right back with an 18-footer for a 96-96 tie.

Walker, fouled off a drive, hit once for a 97-96 Celtics lead with 6:53 left, but Adebayo split the lane with a dunk for a one-point Miami lead.

Tatum, though, hit an up-top three with 6:27 left. Adebayo, not to be denied, hit from the lane, drew the foul and hit the free throw for a 101-100 Miami lead. The Heat big man next fed Butler for a three-point lead.

Tatum cut the Miami led to a point with 5:36 left. Daniel Theis, struggling to defend Adebayo, fouled out on the next possession, with the Heat big man hitting twice for a two-point lead.

Robinson then buried a 3-pointer for a 107-102 lead, with Herro boosting it with a bank shot off the dribble.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/339JtRK