If the Boston Celtics’ playoff run is about redemption, they must first seek revenge on the Miami Heat.

 

A year ago, Miami embarrassed Boston in a Game 7 at TD Garden.

This time around, the Celtics returned the favor.

 

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points, and the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference playoffs by defeating the undermanned Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Boston will take on the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series. The Cavaliers led 3-2 heading into Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night.

 
Brown stated that they approached the game with a business-like mindset.

“There is a lot of history, back and forth. “But it didn’t matter who it was,” Brown explained. “We just had to get the job done.”

 

This was echoed by teammate Jayson Tatum.

“I think this is my fourth time playing them in playoffs,” Tatum was quoted as saying. “They all count the same.” We performed our job. We took care of business.

Brown also had six assists, and White made five three-pointers. Sam Hauser added 17 points, while Tatum had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The top-seeded Celtics never trailed and led by 37 points.

Miami’s Bam Adebayo scored 23 points and Tyler Herro had 15, as the team exited the playoffs before reaching the conference finals for the first time since 2021. The Heat struggled throughout, shooting 3 of 29 from three-point range.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it was evident from the start that the Celtics were playing with more enthusiasm.

“They probably had something to motivate them even more against us,” he went on to say.

Despite the overwhelming loss and the way their season ended, Adebayo says he will take lessons from the offseason.

“We’ve gained a lot of mental toughness,” he told reporters. “Going through that as a captain helped me understand that the ship is going to be rocky at times.”

 

Boston was without center Kristaps Porzingis for the first time this postseason after straining his right calf during the Celtics’ Game 4 victory. His teammates filled in the gaps, and the Celtics built a 30-point advantage in the first half.

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Boston took advantage of a Heat club that had never been more injured in the series. Jaime Jaquez Jr. was sidelined after suffering a hip injury in Game 4. Delon Wright replaced him in the lineup, making this the Heat’s 37th starting five of the season. Jaquez joined Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck), who had been out since the beginning of the series.

It resulted in unorthodox rotations for Miami, with veteran Patty Mills playing for the third time in the series.

Boston capitalized on the Heat’s defensive flaws, spreading them out and hitting eight 3-pointers in the first period. It helped the Celtics maintain an 18-point advantage into the second quarter.

The highlight of the first 12 minutes came from White, who annihilated Miami from long range with eight 3s in Game 4. He stayed on the attack early Wednesday, fake a three-pointer before driving in for an uncontested one-handed dunk.

White then played to his local audience, placing his palm in front of his face as he backpedaled up the court. Following the Heat’s timeout, a courtside fan near the Celtics’ bench was observed pantomiming fanning White on the sidelines.

“I think that’s when I’m at my best, when I’m having fun out there,” said White. “But at the same time realizing this is a best moment and we’re all locked into it.”

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the Celtics led by as many as 37 points, not 35.