Sad News: Just Now, Joe Mazzulla is being suspended in all sport today….
Las Vegas — Jaime Jaquez Jr. appeared to be the only player who didn’t fit in on Saturday. A factor that largely explains Saturday’s outcome, a more easy Miami victory than the 119-114 final score indicated, but raised multiple questions about the roster players and those on the verge of making Boston’s squad.
Baylor Scheierman navigated a slow shooting start to close 4-for-6 from the field in his first Celtics appearance, posting six assists with no turnovers. Anton Watson scored eight points and blocked Jaquez. Neemias Queta scored 20 points with nine rebounds, missing some clean looks around the rim, JD Davison played a mostly clean game, finishing 6-for-7 with 19 points and seven assists, most of his four turnovers coming during a late rally attempt. Jordan Walsh struggled — shooting 1-for-8 with four points.
Scheierman missed his first three shots from the right corner starting the game alongside Walsh, Jaden Springer, Davison and Queta. He generated needed attempts behind the line, though, as the Celtics entered halftime with only 12 shots from deep. Davison’s shooting and Queta’s pressure on the rim and the offensive glass kept Boston close early while Jaquez emerged as the best player by far on the floor, driving nonstop while putting defensive pressure on the ball full court. Both teams stood tied, 22-22, midway through the first quarter when Scheierman moved into an on-ball role with Boston’s second unit. He drove and hit Watson with a bounce pass cutting baseline, led Drew Peterson toward the rim for two and kicked a pass out to Jahmi’us Ramsey for three after an offensive rebound, posting three assists in one minute of game time. The Celtics led, 32-28, after one.
Davison hit three out of four at the line to begin the second, maintaining a one possession Boston lead until Jaquez, Ware and Josh Christopher scored on back-to-back-to-back possessions to flip the lead. Davison ran into Christopher in the back court, giving away the ball with an offensive foul in the beginning of trouble for the Celtics against Miami ball pressure.
In the half court, Queta and others met a brick wall as Boston’s spacing faltered. Scheierman found his first basket late in the quarter going around a Queta handoff into a floater, but Ware blocked Queta on a possession prior before Walsh missed back-to-back threes into halftime, yelling in the right corner as the buzzer sounded. Miami led 61-53.
Springer, who scored 23 points to lead all Celtics scorers, sparked Boston with a corner three and steal that set up Scheierman for his first three. He recovered a loose ball along the baseline and found Queta for a reverse layup that tied the game at 63, then moved into the mid-range to beat the Heat’s press away from Walsh bringing the ball up. Walsh’s struggles mounted after halftime, though, with his turnover midway through the third leading Christopher in transition for an easy dunk while Queta chased and yelled from behind. Cole Swider hit back-to-back threes, countering another pull-up Springer three and Keshad Johnson’s dunk that defined the win sent the Heat into the fourth ahead 89-82.
Less exciting plays broke Boston on Saturday and continued in the fourth. Christopher’s uncontested cutting layup. Jaquez’ easy put back. A Zyon Pullin run in transition. A layup line nearly put the Celtics away early if not for four straight scoring plays by Jahmi’us Ramsey, who finished with 16 points in 14 minutes off the bench. Miami never built a lead larger than eight despite shooting 61.5% from the field. Scheierman hit a corner three in front of Boston’s bench with 2:35 remaining to cut the Heat lead to three before back-to-back finishes by Kel’el Ware and Jaquez driving through a foul by Queta ended the comeback.
