3 Celtics takeaways from blowout Game 3 win over Heat

The Celtics had the fewest amount of turnovers per game during the regular season, and it showed in Game 3.

Boston had just five turnovers to Miami’s 12, resulting in a lot more extra possessions for the C’s. What’s more, Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown only had one turnover combined. That dynamic duo faces plenty of double teams and active hands, yet the two 2024 All-Stars took care of the ball and cut cough-ups down to a minimum.

On the other end, Boston’s strong defense gave the Heat trouble and generated some turnovers. Brown thought that was one of the key reasons the C’s were able to grab a pivotal victory at the Kaseya Center, per CelticsBlog reporter Jack Simone.

“We put an emphasis on defense. Trying to make them uncomfortable a little bit,” Brown said. “They had a slow start. We had a good start on defense. And I think that kind of opened up the game.”

Miami is typically the team mucking up the game and causing discomfort. However, the roles were reversed for Game 3, ensuring that the Heat never really found their offensive rhythm. And to Brown’s point, Miami only had 12 points after the first 12 minutes of the contest.

Kristaps Porzingis found his groove again

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis had one of his worst outings of the entire season in Game 2 versus the Heat. His shots weren’t falling and the Heat’s defense swarmed while holding him to just six points.

The Latvian big man didn’t make any crazy adjustments in Game 3, but his offensive groove was clear from the start. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 27 minutes of play.

Even when Porzingis has struggled in this series, he’s been a stellar rim protector. The 2018 All-Star has had two blocks in every single postseason game thus far and impacted countless shot attempts.

In addition, his defense on Heat star Bam Adebayo was improved. Although Miami’s current No. 1 option still tallied 20 points, he wasn’t as effective in Game 3 and Porzingis always met him in the paint. Slowing down Adebayo should be a key part of Boston’s plan of attack for the rest of the series.

Jayson Tatum shined for Celtics without lighting up the box score

Boston’s go-to guy didn’t exactly light it up during Game 3. However, he did exactly what was required of him to take Game 3.

Tatum posted 22 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and zero turnovers. The five-time All-Star took what Miami’s defense gave him and excelled at drawing fouls from over-eager defenders.

He facilitated the ball well too, which was reminiscent of his Game 1 performance when he captured the first playoff triple-double of his career.

Even though plenty of Celtics fans want to see Tatum completely take over a game by putting up shot after shot, Miami is throwing a lot of defenders at him to make sure he’s not consistently comfy in isolation. For now, staying aggressive on offense while always being ready to dish it to an open shooter is a solid game plan for the 26-year-old.

With a 2-1 series lead, the C’s will prepare for Game 4 on Monday night in Miami. That leaves Boston with a fair amount of downtime in a fun city like Miami, yet Tatum knows this trip down south is all about business, via TNT’s in-game broadcast.

“It’s playoff time. There’s plenty of time after the season to have fun,” he said. “We gotta go rest, lock in, and get ready to play on Monday night.”