Celtics starters make some history in Game 5 win over Heat – KGET 17

The Boston Celtics aren’t done yet.

The Celtics — once down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals — are now 3-2 after leading all the way to beat the Miami Heat 110-97 on Thursday night.

Boston had four players, all starters, with at least 21 points – Derrick White led the way with 24, Marcus Smart added 23, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each had 21. It was the eighth time this season and the first time this postseason that a team had four starters score at least 21.

It was the first time Boston had four starters score that many goals in a playoff game since June 11, 1987. The Celtics actually had all five starters in that game against the Los Angeles Lakers; Dennis Johnson scored 25 points, Larry Bird 23, Kevin McHale 22, and Danny Ainge and Robert Parish each scored 21 in the Celtics’ 123-108 victory.

It tied Boston at 3-2 in that series, just like the Celtics’ win over Miami did on Thursday night. The Lakers won Game 6 of that matchup in 1987 and won the NBA title.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Miami will host Game 6 of the East Finals on Saturday. If Game 7 is necessary, it would be Monday in Boston.

HOW TO WATCH

— The Eastern Conference Finals are on TNT.

— All games are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET.

— Team broadcasters will no longer broadcast games. Everything after the first round is exclusive to national windows and not available for local telecasts.

— The NBA Finals will air on ABC.

WEMBY WATCH

Victor Wembanyama’s season in France is not over yet.

The presumptive No. 1 pick in next month’s NBA draft had 19 points and nine rebounds as Boulogne-Levallois topped Cholet 81-69 in the deciding Game 3 of their French quarterfinal series.

Wembanyam’s side will now play ASVEL in the semi-finals starting on Sunday. The ties between these parties run deep; Wembanyama played for ASVEL last season, and ASVEL’s owner and president is Tony Parker — who played for San Antonio, the team that will use the No. 1 draft pick on Wembanyama next month.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

— With 21 points in Game 5, Boston’s Jayson Tatum now has 498 points so far in these playoffs. He is two points away from becoming the 15th player in NBA history to score at least 500 points in two different postseasons; Tatum scored 615 goals last season. LeBron James has the most such postseasons, with nine.

— Boston’s starters outscored Miami’s starters 95-44 in Game 5 on Thursday.

— The Celtics outscored Miami by 21 points from 3-point range, 48-27. Teams are now 16-1 in this year’s playoffs when they hold such a lead; the exception was in the Lakers-Golden State series, when the Warriors outscored Los Angeles by 45 points — 63-18 — on May 2 and still lost 117-112.

23 AND HE

When Jimmy Butler scores at least 23% of Miami’s points in a game, the Heat are 11-1 in the playoffs, including playoffs. When he doesn’t, the Heat are 1-5 (including the play-in tournament and a game in which Butler didn’t play).

He had 14 of Miami’s 97 points in Game 5 against Boston, clearly well below that 23% mark.

QUOTABLE

“These next two games should be fun.” — Boston’s Jaylen Brown after the Celtics forced a Game 6 with a win over Miami on Thursday night.

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