Last Night In The NBA: The Miami Heat Refuse To Lose

Jesse D. Garrabrant. Getty Images.

Good morning everybody happy Friday and welcome back to another edition of Last Night In The NBA where we bring you up to speed on everything that went down from the night before in the Association. It was another wild night of playoff bubble basketball and frankly I'm not even sure how I am typing this blog right now. Credit to me for fighting through it. Now in the event you were watching Thursday Night Football and missed the action that's OK, here's what happened.

Miami Heat (2-0) 106 vs Boston Celtics (0-2) 101

OK just so we're clear here as a reminder to everyone we'll be talking about the Celtics in their normal postgame blog that comes after this. They need their own 2500 words. So for this blog we'll focus on the hottest team in the bubble, the Miami Heat. Now 10-1 this postseason, they have now come back from a 14 point fourth quarter deficit and a 17 point third quarter deficit to take a 2-0 series lead. I'll remind you they are 16-0 all time in the playoffs when they have a 2-0 lead. They've been incredible to watch and frankly it's unfortunate they're playing my beloved Celtics because I can't even enjoy it. There is just no quit in this team. They are a team loaded with guys that have gigantic testicles and fight until the very end. They play hard on both ends and when things get tight and in the clutch, they go up a level. It's really really impressive. 

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So in Game 2, it was more of the same. Duncan Robinson got things started early just like you knew he would after his foul trouble in Game 1. This dude is legit terrifying to watch every time he goes up for a jumper

His threes in that first quarter is what helped keep the Heat in it while the Celts couldn't miss. The way they move him off screens and run him off different actions is like a Warriors-Lite offense. 

But when I think of how the Heat won this game, not only did they do it through defense, forcing 20 turnovers, but for me if came down to a few things. First, the third quarter. It was like a completely different team. They came out with great energy, they tightened up defensively, they figured out that the Celts couldn't cover the P&R and Bam went to town

In that quarter we saw the Celts start the quarter up 13 and leave it down 7. A quarter that has been a problem for them all playoffs, you have to credit the Heat for responding well and taking control of this game.

Then there was Goran Dragic, notorious Celtics killer. He killed them in Game 1 with 29, and he killed them in Game 2 with 25, including two DAGGER buckets in the final minutes

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The Heat have done a great job at finding ways to get Dragic matched up with anyone other than Marcus Smart, and he's torched them all. Last night it was Theis, and in my opinion Dragic has been their best player. 

And finally, clutch time. When it comes time to win, Jimmy Butler makes his impact. The guy once again didn't do a damn thing all night until it was time to win, then he had three of the biggest plays of the night

In the clutch last night the Heat had a 154 Ortg / 66 Drtg. It was the same story in Game 1. When things get tight and the pressure builds, this team responds on both ends. The Celts haven't and that's why they find themselves down 0-2. 

Reports are suggesting that Gordon Hayward might be back for Game 3, and maybe that will help the Celts figure out this Miami zone because it has completely dominated them. Some might say the Heat are lucky to be in this position given their deficits in both games, but not me. They earned both these wins through playing hard and executing in big moments. They've come through and made high pressure shots whenever they needed it and they deserve credit for that.

And that's it! You are now all caught up with everything that went down last night in the NBA. We're back tonight with Game 1 of the WCF, and here's to hoping it's just as entertaining as this series has been.