BOSTON — [The Celtics](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/12/celtics-mailbag-surprise-starter-creates-intriguing-contract-dilemma.html) beat the Heat 129-116 on Friday at TD Garden, dominating the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The C’s snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 16-11, while the Heat dropped to 15-13.
The two teams battled in a close one early as they were deadlocked in a 58-58 tie at halftime. The Celtics were more efficient, but the Heat feasted on the offensive glass while hitting 3-pointers throughout the first half. It was more of the same throughout the third quarter as neither team gained much of an advantage.
But the Celtics ambushed the Heat at the start of the fourth quarter, hitting their first six 3-pointers to blow the game open. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra burned three timeouts to try to slow down the C’s, but the damage was done from behind the arc.
Derrick White led the way with 33 points and tied a career-high with nine 3-pointers. [Jaylen Brown](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/12/jaylen-brown-believes-jayson-tatum-return-is-coming-soon.html) added 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, though he also had five turnovers. Kel’el Ware had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, while Bam Adebayo had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Celtics next face the Raptors at 7 p.m. Saturday in Toronto as part of a back-to-back. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Miami:
**Another heater:** White has seemingly shaken off his slow shooting start to the season. It was another great shooting night from the guard, finishing 9-for-14 on 3-pointers Friday. On top of all that, the best shot-blocking guard in the league added six assists, five rebounds and four blocks. White entered Friday shooting 38.6% on his 3-pointers this month, which is bound to go up a few more percentage points after another huge night.
**Pulling away:** While it was a sleepier game for most of Friday, the Celtics turned it on at the start of the fourth quarter. They hit 10 3-pointers in the fourth quarter alone, outscoring the Heat 37-27 in the frame. The Celtics finished 21-for-43 on 3-pointers as, while the Heat also shot well, they just couldn’t keep up with Boston’s onslaught. The Heat also ran out of gas on the second night of a back-to-back and a short rotation.
**Wings stepping up:** It was Hugo Gonzalez’s turn Friday to produce as the 19-year-old made several key plays. The rookie had 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals, though he can continue to clean up some of his fouls. Sam Hauser also went 5-for-6 on 3-pointers for 15 points after he had to leave the Pistons game early with a sprained ankle. It’s been a slow start for Hauser shooting the ball, so the Celtics will take all the makes they can get from their proven sharpshooter.
**Continuous issue:** The Heat got two offensive rebounds on their first possession of the night, which was a preview for the rest of the night. Miami dominated the glass with 17 offensive rebounds, leading to a 24-11 edge in second-chance points. Three different Heat players had at least four offensive rebounds Friday. Rebounding has been a season-long issue for the Celtics as they’re a smaller team. The Heat took advantage of that Friday with their size between Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. But it wasn’t enough for the Heat even though they had multiple second chances.