Bench, bench, and more bench. That’s how the Boston Celtics downed the Miami Heat 101-89 Saturday afternoon.
Evan Turner got it all started with a red-hot, 11-point, six-assist effort during the first half that kept Boston in the game. He also had a hand in the most important run of the day, with a little help from two of his benchmates.
Jonas Jerebko jumpstarted a critical 7-0 run by Boston midway through the fourth quarter by drilling a step-back trey from the right corner over the outstretched hand of Josh McRoberts. The 3-pointer tied the game up at 82-82 with 7:39 left on the clock.
Turner was the next man up, as he, too, nailed a step-back J. His came from just inside the free-throw line at the 6:44 mark.
Tyler Zeller, who provided Boston with 20-plus quality minutes off the bench, capped the run with a bucket in the paint. He slipped to the rim and took a pass from Turner before dropping one in with a soft touch right in the paint.
Zeller’s bucket put the Celtics on top 86-82 with 5:47 remaining in the contest. A four-point lead is marginal, yes, but it changed the tenor of the game. Boston could sniff a win and its crowd was energized.
The C’s went on to extend their lead to 12 down the stretch before pulling out their second straight victory and their tenth straight home win.
We reported from the practice facility Friday afternoon about how Jared Sullinger continues to fly under the radar despite his consistently high performance. He’s not flying under the radar in this spot today.
Sullinger was fantastic during Boston’s 101-89 win over Miami Saturday afternoon. For the third time in as many games, he logged a double-double, taking his team-leading total to 18 on the season.
Rebounding, per usual, was the strongest asset of Sullinger’s game. He hauled in 12 boards, all at the defensive end, and beasted Heat players on multiple occasions to secure them.
Surprisingly, passing has also been a strength of Sully’s game of late. He dished out four dimes Saturday afternoon, marking the third time in his last four games that he has at least reached that mark. He has averaged 3.4 assists per game during the month of February.
Also in the surprising category, the 6-foot-9 big man tallied a team-high three blocks Saturday afternoon.
Boston outscored Miami by 12 points during Sullinger’s 24-plus minutes of action. Although he shot just 5-of-13 from the field, he was undoubtedly a difference-maker.
Brad Stevens on playing at TD Garden and Boston’s lengthy home winning streak.
