One step closer

The Celtics have a commanding 3-1 lead over the Miami Heat.

3-1. The Boston Celtics won both road games against the Miami Heat, taking control of their opening-round series in the process. Erik Spoelstra’s team has to come into the TD Garden and steal a victory to keep their season alive. It’s not impossible — the Heat have made a habit of winning on Boston’s home court — but their season is teetering on the edge.

These last two games have been a show of strength from the Celtics. Miami always finds a way to grind any rhythm to a halt. Yet, Joe Mazzulla’s team has kept plugging away, finding gaps, and working the ball into high-quality shots. That’s all you can ask for, especially when facing this level of physicality.

Last night’s game didn’t end without some controversy, though. Kristaps Porzingis left the court midway through the second quarter with what we believe to be a calf injury. And Bam Adebayo’s flagrant on Tatum’s after-the-whistle jumper managed to piss off thousands, if not millions, of fans around the world.

Let’s dive in.

Celtics beat Heat 102-88

🚑 Injury report (Boston): Luke Kornet — Calf

🚑 Injury report (Miami): Jimmy Butler (MCL), Terry Rozier (Neck), Josh Richardson (Shoulder)

⭐ Derrick White has to be at the top of this list. He ended the night with a career-high 34 points. He took the most shots out of any Celtic as Mazzulla rode the hot hand (a nice sight to see). White went 8-of-15 from the perimeter and led the game with blocked shots. What else is new though, am I right?

What I liked most about White’s performance was his aggressiveness in the open court. When he’s decisive and willing to call his number, he can emerge as a genuine offensive threat for Boston.

White has an underrated change of pace. You can see it in the clip above, he can explode past his man with one step and level them trailing the play — especially when there’s no gap help coming off the corner.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that White was Boston’s best offensive player last night. That’s what he’s capable of. We’ve seen him step into that role before. We’ll see him step into that role again, I’m sure.

On the inaugural Celtics Chronicle podcast, which launched yesterday, I discussed the need to get Holiday in rhythm on offense because you never know when he might be needed to step up. White’s performance is exactly the point I was trying to make. Sometimes, it’s just your night, and you’ve to be ready to answer the call.