Miami Heat fall for just the third time at home in 109-101 loss to Boston
The Miami Heat finally lost a home game to a non-Los Angeles team.
The Boston Celtics held on for a 109-101 victory Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena. It was just the Heat's third loss in 23 games on their home floor this season. The other two were to the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers.
"We were pretty flat offensively but those one or two or three big pushes during the course of that second half where you've got to make those timely plays," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "The games that we've been able to win, a lot of these close games at home, we've made those plays. Tonight, the Boston Celtics made those plays."
Celtics forward Gordon Hayward led five players in double-figures with 29 points and nine rebounds. Heat guard Goran Dragic finished with 23 points in an otherwise off night offensively. The Heat shot 37 percent from the field, including 9 of 37 from the 3-point line. Jimmy Butler had 20 points and six rebounds while Bam Adebayo contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Butler attributed the offensive struggles to poor ball movement.
"I don't think it should happen with this team," Butler said. "It's easy to correct. We just got to start finding one another. We do it everyday, we do it every game."
The Heat also gave up too many second-chance opportunities on several occasions when they were in position to make a run. The Celtics had just 15 points in the category but most were timely.
"It wasn't our offense," Adebayo said. "It wasn't our defense. It was second-chance points. They put more effort toward that part of the game."
The loss dropped the Heat (32-15) into third place in the Eastern Conference standings behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors. They finished the five-game homestand at 3-2 but play six of the next seven on the road before the NBA All-Star Break.
