Heat hang on to beat the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Final

Bam Adebayo (Twitter)

The Miami Heat got a bit of a scare on Saturday night at the Toronto Dominion Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, but were able to hang on and beat the Boston Celtics 109-103 in game three of the Eastern Conference Final. The Heat had a 26-point lead two minutes and 17 seconds into the second half at 46-20, only to see Boston march all the way back to within a single point to make the score 93-92 Miami with two minutes and 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Heat then went on a 16-11 run to close out the game to preserve the victory. With the win, Miami has taken a 2-1 series lead in the best out of seven series.

The Heat’s best quarter was their first quarter. There they outscored Boston 39-18.

Miami’s top scorer in game three was Ben Adebayo. The native of Newark, New Jersey had a team-high 31 points, and also had a double-double, as he added 10 rebounds. It should be noted that despite playing the center position, Adebayo tied the Heat lead in assists with six, and led Miami with a +17.

Three other Heat players reached double digits in scoring. P.J. Tucker had 17 points, Max Strus had 16 points, and Kyle Lowry had 11 points. This was Lowry’s first playoff game in 13 days. He had missed nearly two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Even though the Heat lead the series 2-1, it is the Celtics that enter game four tonight with momentum. Despite the game three loss, the fact that Boston outscored Miami 85-70 in the final three quarters on Saturday cannot be ignored.

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