On Monday, 18 July 2016, the Celtics and Heat returned to North Highland Assembly of God's Church Gymnasium for their last battle of the season.  Both teams were tied 1 - 1 for the NOSBL XVI first round series.  The Celtics reported with all the major pieces in place and so did the Heat.  The officials were Brandon Thomas and Ice Elliott.

The starters for the Celtics were:  #24 Jerel Jackson, #23 Tim Sanks, #2 Stephen Woodson, #15 Christopher None, and #1 Al Wilson.

The starters for the Heat were:  #3 Michael Brown, #11 Norman King, #4 Bryan Short, #13 Donald Brophy, and #17 Felton Scott.

The game started with the Celtics receiving the first possession and a missed shot by Jerel Jackson.  Felton Scott scored the Heat's first points with a 3-point jumper.  I watched to see if both teams would make the necessary adjustments to advance to the second round - based on their first two games.  Though the teams were split 1 - 1, the Heat had definitely shown themselves to be the most dominant of the two.  When reaching a high level of play, it is extremely important to remain humble along with each player knowing his role.  That would separate Heat from the Celtics.  The Celtics coach/player, Al Wilson, would not allow the players to operate outside of the specific role(s) they are suppose to play.  That keeps them disciplined and always in the game.  Players or the team cannot afford to use a game, of this magnitude, to perform outside of their strengths neither to be on the court experimenting with new shots.  The Heat scored 21 first half points with Bryan Short leading the team with 8 points.  The team's season leader, Felton Scott, only scored 5 points.  While the Heat were exploring new things and shots, the Celtics were staying with the basics:  Get the ball to the team leading scorers and everybody play your role.  That concept produced 10 points for Jerel Jackson, 8 points for Christopher None, and 8 points for Johnny Vasquez.  The Heat did a much better job with fouls.  They only committed three team fouls versus six for the Celtics.  The Celtics ended the first half with a 33 - 21 point lead.

The second half was a different matter.  The Celtics improved their scoring, but their defense became penetrable once Felton Scott was able to quietly put the Heat on his shoulders with 19 second half points.  His shot selections included three 3-point shots and five 2-point shots.  That would open the door for Johnny Sanchez to score 8 points.  That kind of scoring allowed the Heat to outscore the Celtics 34 - 22 to tie the score at 55.  The Celtics would take the lead at 58, with a 3-point shot, restructure their defense, and let Tim Sanks take them down the stretch.  With 1-minute remaining in the game, the Heat's lack of playoff experience caused some players to ease off the paddle as if the game was over.  That is a no-no when playing against the Celtics because they don't stop playing until the buzzer sounds.  The Celtics accepted the early gift and went on to win the game and move on to the second round to play against the Bulls.  The Celtics defeated the Heat 70 - 61.  The Heat outscored the Celtics 40 - 37, in the second half.  They were unable to capitalize on the tie score at 55.  The Heat committed seven team fouls and the Celtics committed six team fouls.

This was an exciting Eastern Division First Round.  I hope to see the Heat team stay together and use this experience as a stepping point to improve.  They have an outstanding group of athletes who have a desire to win.  The key to their success will be playing to your strengths and learning how to closeout games.

The scorers for the Celtics were:  #23 Tim Sanks with 20 points, #24 Jerel Jackson with 17 points, #22 Johnny Vasquez with 15 points, #15 Christopher None with 13 points, and #00 Ralph Mathews with 5 points.

The scorers for the Heat were:  #17 Felton Scott with 24 points, #15 Johnny Sanchez with 12 points, #4 Bryan Short with 12 points, #8 Antonio Anthony with 5 points, #11 Norman King with 5 points, and #14 Tim Elder with 3 points.