Heat coach credited Celtics’ ‘exceptional level of shot-making’

Warmth coach’s tackle the Celtics: Following the Celtics‘ clobbering of the Warmth on Wednesday — a 147-129 win that was spurred by a 53-point first quarter deluge — Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra sounded off about his workforce’s defensive efficiency within the postgame press convention.

Surprisingly, regardless of the workforce’s latest struggles on protection (Miami is 2-8 in its final 10 video games), Spoelstra didn’t take as a lot of a problem along with his personal squad.

“That is going to sound loopy, however that is totally different than the opposite video games we’re speaking about,” Spoelstra told reporters. “Our guys had been locked in and competing. There was an distinctive stage of shot-making on their half to begin the sport. There’s most likely a handful we may’ve been stronger on-balance to remove a few of the 3s.”

Boston’s first quarter eruption (a workforce file for first quarters) was predicated round one other standout performance from Jaylen Brown, in addition to gamers like Sam Hauser (who went 5-for-5 from 3-point vary through the opening quarter).

Past that, Spoelstra famous how the Celtics — a workforce that usually defines its offense with 3-pointers — really excelled within the sport from contained in the arc. Boston hit just below 60 p.c of its photographs contained in the 3-point line, whereas Miami mustered a fee of simply 41.7 p.c.

“They shot a exceptional share,” Spoelstra said of the 2-pointers. “It simply felt like they didn’t miss any pull-up bounce photographs from the areas that you prefer to groups taking pictures from.

“They only made a excessive quantity and excessive effectivity of taking pictures of proper in that space,” he added. “The realm that everyone talks about. The 2-point percentages between the 2 groups had been an enormous distinction.”

Trivia: The Celtics scored 53 factors within the first quarter on Wednesday, the second-most factors scored in any quarter of any NBA sport in workforce historical past. Probably the most factors Boston has scored in 1 / 4 was 54, which got here in a 147-124 win over the San Diego Rockets in Feb. 1970. Are you able to title the participant who led the Celtics in factors that day?

(Reply on the backside).

Trace: He has the second-most profession wins as an NBA head coach in historical past.

Extra from Boston.com:

Brady sighting: Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was court-side for the Celtics’ Wednesday night time win.

Not an April Fools joke… the 🐐has been noticed! @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/tGuohmXweu

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 1, 2026

A weird growth: Through the center of a Florida-Stetson softball matchup on Wednesday, gamers, coaches, and followers all stopped for a second to observe the Artemis II NASA rocket launch.

𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗜 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 🚀

📺: https://t.co/tskXiMwJkW#GoHatters | @espn | @stetsonsoftball | @stetsonu pic.twitter.com/ODwVtVTYCD

— Stetson Hatters (@StetsonHatters) April 1, 2026

On at the present time: In 1978, the Bruins defeated the Rangers 8-3 because of Wayne Cashman’s four-goal effort. Elsewhere, the Celtics misplaced to formally miss out on the playoffs, and Luis Tiant tried to arrange himself for Purple Sox season.

Each day spotlight: One of many defining “Derrick White” performs of the season, during which the versatile Celtic showcased his capacity to make profitable performs on each ends of the ground.

Derrick White with the lob then runs all the way in which again to contest 💨 pic.twitter.com/nqQxfHKG6y

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 2, 2026

Trivia reply: Don Nelson