Celtics can’t take the Heat, wilt late in the fourth to fall 125-113

The Boston Celtics saw their season end in a 125-113 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals.

In their second straight elimination game against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics came ready to fight. The Heat won the tip, center Bam Adebayo getting to the line to get Miami on the board.

Jaylen Brown would lay it up to get the Celtics going after the Heat jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and Kemba Walker would get to the line to cut it to two. A four-point swing put Miami up 10-4 with a Jimmy Butler make, but back-to-back treys from Marcus Smart gave Boston it’s first lead at 15-14.

Jae Crowder would answer back with a 3 of his own, and an Andre Iguodala trey would put the Heat up 25-18. Gordon Hayward returned the favor on the next possession, but another Iguodala 3 would push the lead to nine points, Miami carrying a 33-27 lead into the second quarter.

Smart hit another 3 to get Boston within three, then hit another shortly after. A Butler and-1 kept the Heat in front, but Tatum got on the board with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two.

An easy cut for Butler would force a Celtics timeout with seven to play in the half as both teams traded blows. Tatum started to heat up with a breakaway dunk, but Duncan Robinson answered back with a 3.

A Crowder make would put the Heat up 55-48, but Tatum came back with a 3, and a Walker trey would cut the lead to just one with 2:30 to go in the half. The Celtics would retake the lead on a Tatum layup, both teams exchanging makes, Miami carrying a 62-60 lead into the break.

The penultimate frame began with Brown sticking a trey, and a Smart tip-in extended the lead. A Dragic 3 would tie it, and another from Robinson would put Miami up 68-65.

An Adebayo trip to the line would put the Heat up five, but a defensive 3-seconds violation and a Tatum layup cut the lead to 2. The Heat came charging back to take a seven-point lead on an Iguodala 3. Another soon after would force a Boston timeout, Miami up 82-74.

A Walker layup stopped the bleeding, and a 3-pointer from the UConn product would cut the lead to five. Back-to-back buckets from Brown got Boston within two, and a Smart steal and flush tied the game up. A crafty layup from Dragic gave Miami an 88-86 lead heading into the fourth.

The Celtics started the final frame with a Walker make, and a Brown dunk would give Boston the lead. Adebayo came back with a flush of his own, but Boston would retake the lead on a Smart jumper with 10:30 to go.

Tatum and Brown would push the lead to six, the latter forcing a Heat timeout. A Tyler Herro trey would get Miami within two, and a jumper would tie it at 96. The two teams would trade blows until Theis fouled out with 5:30 to play.

A Robinson trey would extend the Heat’s lead, and a Herro bucket would put Miami up 109-102 with 4:30 to play. Smart would draw a technical on Butler, but the Heat would only add to their lead with Boston missing the tech. The Celtics fought furiously, but could close the gap, their season ending in a 125-113 loss.

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