Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Heat Game

Jaylen Brown's banking in a three from 30 feet to force overtime, Boston's best ball movement of the game, and Jayson Tatum's two-handed flush, headline the breakdown of top five plays from Friday's matchup between the Celtics and Heat.
Bobby Krivitsky|
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

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Jaylen Brown's banking in a three from 30 feet to force overtime, Boston's best ball movement of the game, and Jayson Tatum's two-handed flush, headline the breakdown of top five plays from Friday's matchup between the Celtics and Heat.

Sometimes It's Better to be Lucky Than Good

The screen from Derrick White gets Tyler Herro switched onto Jaylen Brown. When Herro reaches in vain for a steal, his momentum takes him toward the sideline, opening a path for Brown to drive middle.

That leads Brown into three defenders, but sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good, and the shot he hoists while falling to the floor hits off the front rim with enough spin to propel forward and through the net.

Jayson Tatum's Two-Handed Flush

Again, a highlight-worthy play that starts with Herro struggling to navigate a screen. In this instance, it's the slight shove from Jayson Tatum. That gets the latter open with room to build momentum, coming downhill with enough force to render Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo being ready to prevent him from getting to the rim irrelevant.

Boston's Best Ball movement of the Night

The play above featured the best ball movement Boston had on any possession in Friday's loss.

Marcus Smart spins past Jimmy Butler, holding Herro's attention as he gets into the paint. That allows Brown to pop open at the left wing. The Heat recovery nicely, but when Al Horford attacks Butler's closeout, with Kyle Lowry watching the ball, Grant Williams cuts baseline, and Horford dishes to him for a two-handed slam.

Jaylen Brown Forces Overtime

The Tatum screen doesn't dislodge Butler from Brown, and Williams doesn't make contact on his pick, forcing Brown to collect the inbounds pass further out than intended. But as Brown demonstrated earlier, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Jaylen Brown Crosses Up Haywood Highsmith

The Celtics turn to a play where Tatum picks for Brown. Interestingly enough, in a game they consistently targeted Herro, this screen gets him switched off the ball-handler.

But Brown against Haywood Highsmith is still a mismatch in Boston's favor. The former crosses up the latter, then cashes in on a clean look at a jump shot from the elbow.

Further Reading

The Top 5 Plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Heat Game

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Loss vs. Heat: Turnovers and Miami's Second Chances Lead to Boston's Second Home Defeat

Al Horford Signs Contract Extension That Paves the Way for Him to Finish His Career as a Celtic

Here's Where Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Each Ranked in Latest MVP Ladder

Are Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Best Duo in NBA? Celtics Star Weighs in

Jaylen Brown's Comments After Celtics Win Should Scare Opposing Teams

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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