Before Wednesday night, Boston Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser was mired in a 3-point slump that spanned two months. He shot 33 percent last month and 37.5 percent in February — well below his career 41 percent. Then, in the first quarter against the Miami Heat, he caught fire.
Hauser shot a perfect 6-for-6 to begin, finishing the first quarter with 17 points. That alone surpassed his output in any game since Jan. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets (19 points), and the early makes gave him a noticeable
boost to shoot with confidence.
“The first couple go in, the rim looks a little bit bigger,” Hauser told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin postgame. “And shoutout to my teammates for finding me when I was open and getting it to me on time and on target. Just letting it fly out there.”
Without hesitation, Hauser fired away. His first three-pointer came on a late closeout off a pass from Baylor Scheierman. The second, a pull-up in transition, came off a Luka Garza screen. Then the third, off an inbound pass and over a strong contest from Jaime Jaquez Jr., sent Jordan Walsh and Ron Harper Jr. leaping from the bench. Hauser’s scorching start from beyond the arc lifted the offense to historic heights just 12 minutes into Boston’s 147-129 victory in South Beach.
The Celtics scored a franchise-record 53 points in the first quarter, hitting 11 three-pointers. Only the 1969-70 Atlanta Hawks have ever scored more in a single quarter (54) in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55), and ultimately, it helped Boston overcome a challenging Miami environment.
Hauser compared it to a “playoff game,” a feeling he says is consistent whenever the Celtics travel to Miami, even though Boston is on a 10-game winning streak at the Kaseya Center dating back two seasons.
“Every time we come here, it feels like a playoff game,” Hauser said. “So anytime you can win here, it’s pretty cool, and you never know, we might be playing them in a couple of weeks, so it’s good to get these wins under our belt. But we’ve got a lot more to get better at and get ready for it.”
Like the past four playoff matchups over the last six years, the Heat put up a fight. Even when trailing the Celtics by as many as 27 points on Wednesday night, Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, and Tyler Herro wouldn’t go down without a fight. Miami cut into a 23-point halftime deficit and brought it down to 10 after setting a franchise record with 11 3-pointers in the third quarter — the most in any quarter in Heat history.
Boston’s ability to withstand Miami’s rally traced back to the opening frame.
The Celtics shot 73.3 percent from three in the first quarter because of their ball movement and spacing, making it a matter of converting those looks — albeit at a historic rate.
“We got off to a good start, pace-wise,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I thought we executed pretty well, and there’s times when you execute well, and you get good shot after good shot, and it just kind of happened. Usually, when you’re in moments like that, you start to feel it, and you take poor shots. We didn’t do that. We kept fighting for a good look and the next best look, and I thought that kept the momentum going a little bit.”
Brown, who finished as the game’s leading scorer with 43 points, tipped his cap to Hauser. He noted the effect of help defenders crowding scorers like himself, which leaves Boston’s sharpshooters, including Hauser, open for catch-and-shoot opportunities. The Celtics didn’t miss a chance to capitalize on those.
Brown also acknowledged how Hauser’s development this season has boosted Boston’s offense, coming just in time with just over two weeks to go until the playoffs.
“If you’ve got Sam Hauser on the floor, you really can’t help, and if you do, he’ll make you pay,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media.
“Sam has been shooting the ball really well all season, kind of consistently, and he’s been getting to his middy a little bit. He’s been working on that, so Sam has been in his bag. I wouldn’t say I teach him — maybe it’s influenced, a little influence there — but he’s been doing great. Just continuing to develop his game, and that’s what we like to see.”
