The Celtics, who improved and done to 6-2 on the road in this year's playoffs, haven't been to the NBA Finals since 2010, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, and haven't captured the NBA crown since 2008, when they beat the Los Angeles Lakers.
The defensive-minded and physical contest was decided late in the third quarter and early in the fourth period when the Celtics put together a 24-2 offensive run, with 13 points from Brown and seven from Tatum.
The winner of this series -the best of seven games- will face the winner of the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, led by the Golden State Warriors 3-1 over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics took off vital.
The Celtics dominated the third quarter by outscoring Miami 32-16 and closing the period with a 10-0 run for the most significant lead up to that point at 69-58 going into the final quarter.
Miami was 4-of-22 from the paint in the third quarter. Boston opened the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run to take the lead 83-60, and the Celtics held off Miami.
The Heat led 42-37 at halftime, the closest average score CELyet in the series.
Center Bam Adebayo led Miami in that stretch with 10 points, while Derrick White had 11 off the Boston bench.
Al Horford finished with 16 points, and Derrick White added 14 for the Celtics. Tatum finished with 12 rebounds and nine assists.
Meanwhile, Adebayo scored 18 points for Miami and grabbed ten rebounds for the Heat, who made just 32% of their shots after shooting 33% in Boston's 20-point victory. Four.
Gabe Vincent added 15 points, star Jimmy Butler had 13, and Duncan Robinson scored 11 for Miami.
Game 6 will be next Friday in Boston, where the Celtics could close out the series.
Boston's 14-2 run opening the fourth quarter featured three 3-pointers by Brown, and the Celtics increased their lead to 23 points.
The offense was thin in the first half, but Miami's defense seemed to give the Heat hope. Miami led 42-37 at halftime.
It was the lowest-scoring first half of a conference finals game since May 28, 2014, when the Heat and Indiana combined for 75 points at halftime in what ultimately turned into a Pacers win by 93-90.
The Miami Heat co
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