It's exactly what fans were hoping for following a tough loss in Game 3 in Boston -- the Celtics bounced back with a 102-82 victory against Miami to even the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.
The Miami Heat left Jayson Tatum lying on the court with a pain in his neck in the closing minutes of Game 3. The Celtics All-Star did his part to make sure the Heat were hurting after Game 4.
Tatum scored 31 points and Boston took its turn pounding Miami early, jumping out to a 26-4 lead.
“Obviously, we knew how important this game was,” Tatum said. “Everybody just had to come up with a different sense of urgency.”
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
Miami missed 15 of its first 16 shots as this bizarre series produced another game that was all but over after 12 minutes. The Heat led 39-18 after the first quarter of Game 3.
The Celtics led by 27 points in the second quarter and stretched their advantage to 32 in the third. Each game in this series has featured a lead of at least 20 points, and none has been close down the stretch.
Tatum said the C's played with a sense of urgency. He talked about his mindset coming into Game 4 on the heels of a difficult loss.
"You know, I didn’t doubt myself. I know how to play basketball so just coming out and doing what I can to get the win. That’s what was most important," Tatum said.
Game 5 is Wednesday in Miami.
More on the Celtics
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
