NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Jimmy Buttler's show not enough as Celtics trounce Heat in Game 2
The NBA 2022 Eastern Conference Finals saw Boston Celtics trounce Miami Heat in Game 2. Heat's Jimmy Buttler came up with a good show, but it was not enough.
FollowGame 2 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Finals happened between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, where the latter emerged victoriously. Played at the FTX Arena in Miami, the visitors bounced back from their defeat in the opening game, winning 127-102 to tie the seven-match series 1-1. Although the host's forward, Jimmy Buttler, was impressive with his 29-point show, it wasn't enough to see his team extend the lead to 2-0. Meanwhile, the Celtics were aided by the return of center Al Horford and guard Marcus Smart to the starting line-up. The former's health saw unstable status, going from doubtful to questionable before being deemed available 90 minutes before the match.
Horford had missed out on the opening game due to a COVID scare. Meanwhile, Smart was out of the same due to a midfoot sprain he suffered during Game 7 against Milwaukee Bucks. He played for 40 minutes, gathering 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, while Horford collected ten in 33 minutes.
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"[Horford] passed all the protocols, passed all the tests. I'm not a doctor, but he had to pass a certain amount of tests and, you know, league protocols, and so he did, and he was feeling fine from the get-go. Happy to have him back," Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said after the match, reports ESPN.
On the other hand, shooting guard Derrick White missed out on this game for the Celtics, citing personal reasons, as he went home to be with his wife ahead of the birth of his child. "Derrick is having a baby. It came sooner than expected. But, we support our guys always in that situation. He had to rush home today," ascribed Udoka.
