Heat lead Celtics at halftime in Game 7
Published
The Miami Heat lead the Boston Celtics 52-41 at the end of the first half in Game 7 as they look to advance to the NBA Finals and avoid being on a wrong end of history.
Caleb Martin led all scorers in the opening half with 14 points as the Heat attempt to close out the Celtics and prevent them from becoming the first team to overcome an 0-3 playoff deficit.
Jayson Tatum has seven points on 3-of-7 shooting and looked to be hampered by an ankle turn he suffered on Boston's opening offensive possession. Jaylen Brown leads the way for the Celtics with 13, while Jimmy Butler has 11 for Miami.
The Celtics got off to a fast start but went cold in the middle of the first quarter, managing a season-low 15 points as they trailed by seven to close out the opening frame.
Boston struggled from three-point land in the first half, going 4-of-21 while the Heat made eight of their 16 attempts from deep. The Celtics shot just 20 per cent from three in Game 6.
The Heat took the opening three games of the series and looked to have a trip to the NBA Finals all wrapped up, but were unable to close out Boston in Game 4 and the Celtics picked up momentum from there. A Game 5 blowout sent the series back to Miami, where Derrick White tipped in a missed Marcus Smart three at the buzzer, saving the Celts' season and forcing a Game 7 with a 104-103 victory.
The NBA Finals will begin Thursday night in Denver.