It doesn’t get much more embarrassing than that.
The Heat have gone from nearly getting bounced during the play-in tournament to dismantling the two Eastern Conference franchises that were expected to battle one another for a shot at a trip to the NBA Finals. And make no mistake, the Celtics can’t join the Bucks on the golf course yet, but it’s inevitable.
The Heat have earned every win they’ve gotten, but Sunday’s 128-102 Game 4 win vs. Boston was a little different from the first two 2023 Eastern Conference contests. The Celtics, for all the mistakes they made in the first two games, at least fought from start to finish. They just gave up midway through Game 3 — before Joe Mazzulla unloaded Boston’s third team at the start of the fourth.
And what was most remarkable about the loss was Miami’s undrafted players. It may seem like too much was made about how they outdid Boston’s All-NBA talent, but it truly is remarkable. The wildest stat surrounding that conversation: Gabe Vincent (29 points) outscored Jayson Tatum (14) and Jaylen Brown (12) combined.
Caleb Martin (18) and Duncan Robinson (22) both finished with more points than Brown and Tatum, and ex-Celtic Max Strus (10) also finished in double figures. Now, that’s what depth looks like.
For a time, the conversation about the Celtics needing to consider serious changes in the offseason seemed like a reach. But with the way they responded in Game 3 after losing back-to-back at home to open the Eastern Conference Finals, changes have to be made.
That said, it sure would be something if the Celtics pulled off a win in Game 4. That would likely take something seriously going wrong for Miami. Because, the Heat have no intention of letting the Celtics, or any opponent, linger. They’re all business, and they have one thing on their minds — advancing to the Finals. This thing is over.