BOSTON — The Boston Celtics scored one 3-pointer in the first half against the Miami Heat on Friday night but lost the turnover battle and scored under 100 points. Despite this, they defeated their opponents 98-96 at TD Garden, completing a 22-point comeback and winning five consecutive games.
After scoring just 38 points in the first two quarters (a season low), the Celtics exploded for 36 points in the third quarter. That was enough to make the game a battle, and the Celtics eventually went ahead on a three-pointer from guard Derrick White to take a 98-96 lead with 1:31 left in the final frame. On the other hand, White tied the score with a key block on Heat guard Davion Mitchell with 32.1 seconds left in the game.
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Despite the collapse, the Heat still had a chance to escape Boston with a win. Mitchell was open in the corner with less than 3 seconds left, but he missed the potential game-winner, leaving the Heat at 0-3 against the Celtics this season.
Mitchell still scored 13 points and 6 assists, and the Heat had a balanced offense. For the Green Team, White scored 21 points and 4 blocks. Star guard Jaylen Brown scored 29 points in 33 minutes, leading all scorers.
After pulling off their biggest comeback win of the 2025-26 season, the Celtics are now 34-18 and ranked second in the Eastern Conference. They will host the team they just passed in the standings, the New York Knicks, on Super Bowl Sunday, starting at 12:30 pm ET.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics overcome brutal first half, shock Heat
