BOSTON — The scenario has played out on several occasions during this maddening Celtics’ season.
They build a big lead early at the TD Garden, appear to in total control, then watch the advantage slip away, most of the time resulting in a loss.
On Monday night, in the next-to-last home game of the regular season, that scenario unfolded for the Celtics against the Miami Heat.
They opened a 22-point lead during the first quarter, led by as many as 23 points in [...]
BOSTON — The scenario has played out on several occasions during this maddening Celtics’ season.
They build a big lead early at the TD Garden, appear to in total control, then watch the advantage slip away, most of the time resulting in a loss.
On Monday night, in the next-to-last home game of the regular season, that scenario unfolded for the Celtics against the Miami Heat.
They opened a 22-point lead during the first quarter, led by as many as 23 points in the second quarter and had a double-digit advantage for a good portion of the third quarter.
But the Heat threw a scare into the Celtics, getting within three points in the third quarter, and another rough loss seemed on the horizon.
This time, though, the Celtics managed to survive, holding off the Heat, 110-105.
The victory enabled the Celtics (46-32) to stay tied with the Indiana Pacers for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with only four games to go.
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics’ offense with 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers, and scored five points after the Heat got within three late in the game.
Al Horford recorded his second career triple-double — and first with the Celtics — with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. His other triple-double came on Jan. 13, 2015 with the Atlanta Hawks against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jayson Tatum scored 19 points to go with six rebounds and five assists while Marcus Smart (16) and Gordon Hayward (11) were also in double figures.
Goran Dragic led the Heat with 30 points, sparking the second-half comeback, while Dwyane Wade, in his final Garden game, scored 17 points and ex-Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk scored 14.
The Celtics had an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter and were up, 93-82, when Hayward scored a layup. But Olynyk made a 3-pointer and Dragic scored on a layup to get the Heat within 93-87.
Olynyk later made three foul shots to pull the Heat within 95-92 with 6:44 remaining and a Wade jumper made it 103-100 with two minutes to go. But Irving converted a three-point plapy with 1:25 remaining, then sealed the win with two foul shots with 16 seconds left.
Dragic scored 13 points in the third quarter as the Heat, who trailed by as many as 23 in the first half, got the deficit down to single digits.
Dragic made 5 of 7 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and the Heat used an 8-0 run early in the quarter to put pressure on the Celtics to start the second half.
He hit five baskets in the opening 3:42 and added a foul shot, helping the Heat close the deficit to eight.
Miami moved within six later in the quarter, a 3-pointer by Irving, back-to-back baskets by Horford plus a 3-pointer by Marcus Morris with 3.7 seconds to go enabled the Celtics to lead, 88-77, going into the final quarter.
After cruising along during the second quarter and holding that 23-point bulge, the Celtics held a 61-47 lead at halftime.
The Celtics were up, 46-23, on a Hayward basket with 8:02 to go in the half, but they were outscored, 10-0, after that with Wade getting six of the points and old friend Olynyk hitting a 3-pointer.
The Celtics then built the lead back up to 21 and were in front, 59-38, with 1:52 to play in the half, but the Heat came right back, finishing the quarter on a 9-2 run.
The offense was inconsistent during the quarter as the Celtic missed 15 of 23 shots.
The Celtics put together one of their best quarters of the season to open the game, building a 30-8 lead in the first 8:50 as they dominated the Heat.
They raced to a 17-2 advantage in the opening six minutes with Tatum scoring eight quick points after Smart began the game with the first five points.
Tatum finished the quarter with 11 points as the Celtics took a 36-17 lead, and the presence of Aron Baynes and Horford together in the starting lineup paid dividends once again.
The Heat missed 16 of 23 shots in the quarter, including all eight of their attempts from 3-point range.