The Boston Celtics delivered a night to remember at TD Garden on February 6, 2026, overcoming a daunting 22-point deficit to snatch a dramatic 98-96 victory over the Miami Heat. In a game that swung wildly from one extreme to another, the Celtics kept their composure when it mattered most, leaving fans on the edge of their seats and extending their winning streak to five games.
Jaylen Brown was the man of the hour for Boston, pouring in 29 points and setting the tone for a relentless second-half comeback. Payton Pritchard, coming off the bench, added a crucial 24 points, while Derrick White provided the dagger—a corner three-pointer with just 1:31 remaining that ultimately sealed the deal for the Celtics. White finished with 21 points, overcoming a tough shooting night to make his presence felt when it counted.
“We just kept believing,” said Brown after the game, his words echoing the resilience the Celtics showed all night. “No matter how far down we were, we knew we could come back if we played our game.”
Boston’s night started on the wrong foot, with the Heat racing out to a 15-2 lead and stretching the gap to as many as 22 points in the first half. Miami’s offense was firing on all cylinders early, and by halftime, the Heat held a commanding 59-38 lead. Andrew Wiggins led the way for Miami with 26 points, while All-Star Norman Powell chipped in 24. The Celtics, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm, shooting a dismal 28% through the first two quarters and missing 20 of their first 21 attempts from beyond the arc.
But things took a sharp turn in the third quarter. With the Heat up 67-49, Boston ignited a furious rally, outscoring Miami 25-7 over the final 7:06 of the period. White and Pritchard knocked down back-to-back threes to spark the run, and Pritchard’s triple coming out of a timeout cut the deficit to single digits. Suddenly, the TD Garden crowd was alive, and momentum had shifted.
The Celtics’ new addition, Nikola Vucevic, made his presence felt in his debut, posting a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. The veteran big man, recently acquired at the trade deadline, received a rousing ovation from the home fans when he checked in midway through the first quarter. “Voooch!” chants echoed through the arena as Vucevic powered through the paint for a pair of baskets during the third-quarter surge.
Boston’s defense tightened up as well, forcing tough shots and capitalizing on Miami’s mistakes. White gave the Celtics their first lead of the night when he calmly knocked down two free throws with just 9.1 seconds left in the third, capping a wild sequence that saw the game tied at 72 before Powell’s layup at the buzzer sent it into the fourth quarter knotted at 74 apiece.
“You’ve got to give Boston credit,” said Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. “They never quit, and they made the plays down the stretch. We let one slip away.”
Despite the Heat’s early dominance, they couldn’t find the answers in the closing moments. Miami had a chance to steal the win in regulation, but Davion Mitchell’s corner three with 2.7 seconds left clanged off the rim, and the Celtics celebrated a hard-fought victory. It was a tough pill to swallow for a Heat squad that came in riding a three-game road winning streak and looked poised to add another notch to its belt.
The win improved Boston’s record to 33-18, keeping them tied with the New York Knicks atop the Atlantic Division. Miami, meanwhile, dropped to 27-25 but still holds the lead in the Southeast Division. The Celtics have now swept all three meetings against the Heat this season, a testament to their ability to rise to the occasion in close contests.
Injuries played a role for both squads. The Celtics were without star forward Jayson Tatum, sidelined by an Achilles injury, while Miami missed the services of Tyler Herro (ribs) and Terry Rozier (immediate leave). The absence of these key contributors forced both teams to dig deeper into their rotations, with players like Pritchard and Wiggins stepping up to fill the void.
Boston’s resilience was evident in the numbers. After missing 20 of their first 21 three-point attempts, the Celtics found their range late, connecting on nine of their final 15 shots from deep. That turnaround proved decisive, as did their ability to force turnovers and turn defense into offense during the pivotal third-quarter run.
The Heat’s starting lineup featured Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo. For Boston, it was Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Nikola Vucevic. Both teams had to adjust on the fly, but it was the Celtics’ bench that provided the spark when the chips were down.
“This was a statement win,” said Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. “To come back from that far down, it shows the character and heart of this group. We’ve got a lot of basketball left, but this one means a lot.”
The game was broadcast nationally on FDSSUN and NBCS-BOS, with streaming options available on Peacock, Fubo, and Prime Videos, allowing fans across the country to witness the Celtics’ remarkable comeback. For Boston, the focus now shifts to their next matchup against the Knicks, another key contest in the crowded Eastern Conference race. Miami, meanwhile, will look to regroup as they travel to Washington for their next game.
Looking at the broader picture, this victory not only extends Boston’s winning streak but also cements their status as one of the league’s most resilient teams. Overcoming adversity has become something of a theme for this Celtics squad, and nights like this only add to their growing confidence as the playoffs approach.
As the fans filed out of TD Garden, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. The Celtics had delivered a comeback for the ages, and with the season entering its critical stretch, Boston’s faithful have every reason to believe that more memorable moments are on the horizon.