Heat erase 17-point lead to win and take 2-0 series lead over Celtics

For the second time in as many games, the Heat erased a double-digit deficit after trailing by as many as 17 points in Game 2.

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Goran Dragic scored a team-high 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 2 on Thursday to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For the second time in as many games, the Heat erased a double-digit deficit after trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half on Thursday. Miami outscored Boston by 20 points in the third quarter to take the lead heading into the final period.

The Heat led by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter but the Celtics briefly reclaimed the lead after going on a 15-2 run. Jimmy Butler recorded two of his four steals late in the fourth quarter to help the Heat take over down the stretch and seal the 106-101 victory.

“We like to make it hard on ourselves,” Butler told Rachel Nichols of ESPN after the game. “We like being down double digits and being the comeback kids. We have still yet to play 48 minutes but we gotta correct it, we gotta fix it and [it’s] on to the next one.”

Heat rookie Tyler Herro once again played a key role in the win, recording 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists off of the bench. Herro played nearly the entire fourth quarter as Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra tightened his rotation to go with his most trusted unit.

With the win, the Heat are now 10-1 in the playoffs, which is the second time in franchise history the team has matched that start, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The 17-point deficit the Heat faced is tied for the largest comeback to win a playoff game in franchise history.

The Heat have played like underdogs for a majority of the season and that toughness and grit showed during their second-half comeback. Now, the team is just two wins away from returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

Game 3 is scheduled to tip-off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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