Just like Game 1, the Boston Celtics seemed like they had it under control. This time, though, they stretched the lead all the way to 17 points in the second quarter, getting essentially anything they wanted offensively.
And this time, the turnaround was quicker and more extreme: The Miami Heat went on a 20-4 run in the third quarter and took a seven-point lead into the final frame.
And just like Game 1, Miami held off the No. 3-seeded Celtics on Thursday, taking them completely out of rhythm with a combination of its 2-3 zone and switching.
The Heat mixed in some full-court pressure, too, and made Boston look like a totally different team than it was early in the match.
To their credit, the Celtics responded on both ends after their cold stretch.
Miami missed 10 of its first 12 shots in the final frame, and Boston went on a 15-2 run. Once again, however, the Heat persevered, coming away with a 106-101 win and taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals thanks largely to late-game heroics from guard Goran Dragic.
With less than two minutes remaining, the Celtics played a near-perfect defensive possession until Dragic hit an off-the-dribble 3 over big man Daniel Theis to give the Heat a 100-95 lead.
Dragic, who helped the Heat stay afloat in the series opener, hit another jumper over Theis on the next possession. He ended with 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, plus five assists.
"Goran, you know, their defense is really good," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It's really good, they can flatten you out. And sometimes that's what is needed. For some games, you just need to create something out of nothing, and Goran was able to do that down the stretch."
Boston's Jaylen Brown hit a pair of clutch 3s, but missed one in the corner that would have tied it with 15 seconds left.
