On the second night of a back to back, it was a skeleton crew for the Miami Heat with ten available players, while two of those ten being on two-way contracts.

This should end with a Celtics win if Boston brings the appropriate level of focus and energy against a team built to give their frontcourt trouble.

Smith, a reserve guard for the Miami Heat, tore his Achilles on Dec. 23 of last year and was back on the court for training camp in late September. His layoff lasted roughly nine months, far shorter than the time it took players like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to return from their respective Achilles surgeries.

On a night the Celtics lacked defensive energy and rebounding for large stretches, the lineup featuring Gonzalez, Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons was a revelation, leading them to remain on the floor for all of crunch time before the game was decided.

The Boston Celtics won a close game vs. the Miami Heat 129-116 at TD Garden on Friday (Dec. 19) night that took them until the game's final frame (fitting, with fan-favorite guard alum Isaiah Thomas in the audience) for Boston to break out and seize control of the game.

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens looked like a genius on Friday night as the team had its way with the Miami Heat all over the floor in a 129-116 victory at the TD Garden.

After a down few outings for Heat captain Bam Adebayo, the star speaks gets real about his performances after the loss to the Celtics.

The Boston Celtics improved to 16-11 on the season on Friday night with a big win at TD Garden over the visiting Miami Heat, who have been a bothersome rival of Boston’s during the entire Erik Spoelstra era,