The Boston Celtics knew their season was over when they were down nine points early in the third quarter and trailing the series 3-0.
Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum all contributed 16 points as the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 116-99 in Game 4 on Tuesday night to avoid being eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals.
The two key differences were the Celtics' 33-point advantage in 3-pointers and their 18-0 run during a three-minute stretch in the third quarter that changed the game and, they hope, might change the series.
Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics' coach, said, "We can't unwind. "In the next game, we must maintain the same level of intensity, mindset, and focus."
Grant Williams led the Celtics with 14 points, Al Horford had 12, and Marcus Smart had 11. Despite still being down 3-1 in the series, the Celtics have decided to send it back to Boston for Game 5 on Thursday.
Miami, which was outscored 48-22 in a 14-minute span that changed the game—and possibly the series—completely—scored 29 points from Jimmy Butler.