Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Lead Celtics Past Heat as Jimmy Butler Sits with Injury
The Boston Celtics have won four of their last five games following a 122-92 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night at TD Garden to move to 27-25 on the season.
Boston entered the matchup as a six-point favorite with Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler both sidelined for Miami. However, the Heat have found plenty of success this season from other players. They entered with the best record in the Eastern Conference (32-18).
Much of Boston's success this season has hinged on the performances of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics lack enough scoring outside of those two, so it was imperative they had a solid performance against a Heat squad that still boasts a talented trio of Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson.
Notable Stats
Jayson Tatum, SF, BOS: 20 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AST
Max Strus, SG, MIA: 27 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST
Jaylen Brown, SG, BOS: 29 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
Bam Adebayo, C, MIA: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK
Marcus Smart, PG, BOS: 16 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL
Tyler Herro, PG, MIA: 13 PTS, 2 REB
JT & JB Prove Why Celtics Want to Build Around Them
Tatum and Brown continue to be the two most important players in Boston's lineup, and they proved that Monday night against Miami.
As usual, the duo led the way in scoring, combining for 49 points on 18-of-34 shooting from the floor and 6-of-16 shooting from deep. The Celtics continue to create plays around Tatum and Brown, which is part of the reason the team has been successful.
However, Boston's inability to get significant production out of anyone besides Tatum and Brown is also a significant reason the Celtics are floating around the middle of the Eastern Conference standings.
Players like Dennis Schroder and Josh Richardson have proved they can compete at a high level, but they just haven't meshed well with Tatum and Brown. That said, it should come as no surprise that the front office has indicated to rival teams it has no intention of splitting up the duo, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
In addition, Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com reported Jan. 24 that the Celtics had been extremely active in trade talks ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline in hopes of bringing in pieces to put around Tatum and Brown.
Getting players that mesh well with Tatum and Brown will be extremely important for the franchise moving forward. And if president of basketball operations Brad Stevens can't bring in any star players at the deadline, he'll have to find a way to do so during the offseason with players like Bradley Beal, if he declines his player option, set to potentially be available.
Heat Can't Keep Floating Without Jimmy Butler
Butler has been in and out of the lineup this season due to various injuries. And while the Heat have done well weathering the storm, it's become clear they can't continue to sustain their success with the veteran off the court.
Players like Herro and Robinson are expected to step up when Butler is sidelined, but they did anything but that against the Celtics.
Herro has been incredibly impressive off the bench for the Heat this season, entering Monday's game averaging 20.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from deep.
However, he has cooled off as of late. In addition to putting up just 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the floor and 2-of-8 shooting from deep against the Celtics, Herro entered averaging just 15 points over his last three games.
To be fair, Herro has only appeared in four games since missing three contests after entering the NBA's health and safety protocols, but the Heat need much more out of him moving forward, especially when players like Butler and Lowry are sidelined.
Robinson has also been unimpressive of late. In addition to scoring just six points on 2-of-8 shooting (all from deep) against the Celtics, Robinson has averaged just 13.7 points over his last three games. That's not sustainable for the Heat moving forward.
If players like Herro and Robinson can't remain consistent, Miami might need to consider some options at the trade deadline, especially with Butler's status constantly changing because of various ailments.
What's Next?
The Heat will travel to face the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, while the Celtics will host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
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