NBA – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown tame the Miami Heat and put the Boston Celtics on the way to the NBA Finals

Heat – Celtics : 80-93

Boston leads the series 3-2

Even before the Eastern Conference Finals kicked off, it seemed clear that offensive input beyond Jimmy Butler would be one of the keys to the series for Miami. And on decisive Game 5, the absence of another star capable of really taking over in attack was felt. Butler was limited to 13 points on 4 of 18 on shots and his team lost at home against Boston (80-93). The Celtics, on the other hand, can rely on two real scorers who can make the difference at all times. They were present during this decisive meeting. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored 25 and 22 points, respectively, to lead their franchise to a narrow victory in their first NBA Finals since 2010. Tatum also added 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Ime Udoka’s players also made the difference in defense by stifling the Heat like a very active Robert Williams (6 rebounds and 10 blocks). Without a real player capable of taking the match on his own, the Floridians had all the trouble in the world to score points: only 31% success on shots and 15% from behind the arc. That didn’t stop them from taking control of the game first. They led by 5 lengths at the break (42-37). But Brown’s awakening changed everything when he returned from the locker room. The All-Star fullback scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half as he drove his team past 24-2 in the third quarter. The Celtics then took off and they were no longer joined.

This series is not over yet. For the moment, none of the matches has been close and neither team has managed to string together two wins in a row. A bit like in the previous round between Boston and Milwaukee. Tatum and his teammates had finally had the last word by winning away before finishing the job at home. They will now have this opportunity during Game 6, Friday evening.