MIAMI (AP) — Goran Dragic scored 27 points, Dion Waiters had 26 with a pair of big 3-pointers in the final minutes and the Miami Heat held on to beat Boston 104-98 on Wednesday night, snapping the Celtics’ 16-game winning streak.
Tyler Johnson scored 16 points for Miami, which had an 18-point lead cut to one in the final moments. The Heat shot 49 percent and outrebounded the Celtics 48-37.
Kyrie Irving scored 23 points for Boston. Jayson Tatum added 18, and Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris each had 14.
The Celtics got down by 18 in the first half, which has been a very comfortable place for Boston this season. Boston had overcome 18-point deficits against Oklahoma City and Charlotte, a 17-point hole against Golden State, a 16-pointer against Atlanta and rallied from 13 down to win in Dallas this week.
The Celtics almost did it again.
Down by 14 midway through the fourth, the unflappable Celtics went on a 13-0 run in just about three minutes — getting to 91-90 when Smart made one of two free throws with 3:14 remaining.
Waiters decided that was close enough. His 3-pointer from the left wing bounced off the rim, then the top of the backboard, before falling to end Miami’s scoreless drought. Waiters added another 3-pointer over Al Horford to make the lead seven, Hassan Whiteside had a big tip-in with 1:10 left and Miami would hang on from there.
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