The Miami Heat held off the final push from the Boston Celtics and put the Eastern series 2-1 in their favor. . – Sports Poster

Adebayo had 31 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, Brown had 40 and Al Horford 20 with 14 rebounds for Boston.

BOSTON (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Miami Heat, who blew a 25-point first-half lead and lost Jimmy Butler to a knee injury but held on to beat the Boston Celtics. 109-103 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.

Boston never led the game, but erased nearly the entire 62-37 deficit and pulled within a point, 93-92, with 2:40 left to play on a 3-point shot by Jaylen Brown, who finished with 40 points.

Max Strus responded with a 3 and then Adebayo rebounded off defender Al Horford and made a basket at the shot clock bell to give Miami a six-point cushion that he held to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-last series. of seven.

Game 4 is Monday night in Boston.

In a game in which Butler and Bostonians Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart left with injuries — although both Celtics returned — Kyle Lowry returned from a four-game absence and scored 11 with six assists for the Heat. PJ Tucker – like Lowry a playing-time decision – scored 17 for the He

Horford had 20 points with 14 rebounds, and Smart had 16. Tatum had 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting; he also had six turnovers and Brown committed seven of Boston’s 24 turnovers, a 2022 playoff high.

After losing Game 2 at home by 25 points and giving home court advantage to the Celtics, the Heat opened up a 62-37 lead less than three minutes into the second quarter and then watched Boston score the last 10 points of the half. to get back into the game.