Celtics' dominant effort ends Heat's win streak

Jaylen Brown scored 17 points to lead six Boston scorers in double figures as the visiting Celtics routed the Miami Heat 95-78 on Thursday, using an impressive defensive effort to snap the Heat's five-game winning streak.

Dennis Schroder scored 14 points, Aaron Nesmith had 13 and Romeo Langford chipped in 12 for Boston, which won its second straight following a three-game losing streak. Al Horford and Jayson Tatum had 10 points apiece.

Miami, which entered the contest averaging a league-high 115.6 points, recorded a season-low point total and shot 34.6 percent from the field and 9 of 41 (22 percent) from 3-point range.

Kyle Lowry had six points, seven rebounds and five assists for Miami before leaving at the end of the third quarter due to a sprained left ankle.

Jimmy Butler scored 20 points, Duncan Robinson had 16 and Bam Adebayo recorded 13 points and seven rebounds for Miami. Lowry committed six of the team's 18 turnovers.

Robert Williams III grabbed 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who trailed 24-18 after the first quarter.

Robinson made three 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes for Miami but finished 5 of 17 from beyond the arc.

Miami was uncharacteristically sloppy in the second quarter, when Boston capitalized on five Miami turnovers in the first four minutes to move ahead 31-29.

Boston used a 23-3 run to move ahead 46-31 with 2:35 left in the half. Miami went scoreless for nearly six minutes during the stretch and trailed 51-33 at the break.

Brown put up 11 points in the first half for Boston, which outscored Miami 33-9 in the second quarter. The nine points marked the Heat's lowest-scoring quarter since Jan. 3, 2020.

The Celtics maintained their lead in the third quarter with Nesmith leading the way. Nesmith had scored a total of three points on the season before making three 3-pointers on Thursday.

Brown exited the game in the fourth quarter with hamstring tightness for the Celtics, whose four wins have all come on the road. Coach Ime Udoka said postgame that Brown would be re-examined Friday.

Tatum, who entered the contest averaging 24.3 points per game, was held to 3-of-13 shooting. His first basket came with 8:35 left in the game, when his 3-pointer gave Boston a commanding 22-point lead.

—Field Level Media/Reuters