MIAMI -- — Anfernee Simons scored 18 of his season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown added 27 and the Boston Celtics trailed most of the way before rallying to beat the Miami Heat 119-114 on Thursday night.

Sam Hauser added 17 points for the Celtics, who outscored Miami 36-21 in the fourth quarter and won after facing as much as a 19-point deficit. It was their second-biggest comeback win of the season, after coming from 20 down to beat Indiana on Dec. 22.

Simons had the second highest-scoring game for a reserve this season — Utah's Brice Sensabaugh had 43 on Wednesday night in a loss to Chicago — and became the fourth Celtics player in the last 50 years to score at least 39 off the bench. The others: Larry Bird, Todd Day and Payton Pritchard.

Norman Powell scored 26 points for Miami, which got 22 points apiece from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Andrew Wiggins added 16 for the Heat.

Simons had 11 consecutive Boston points in the fourth quarter to chip away at what was left of the Miami edge, and then Hauser got an open 3-pointer with 5:21 left to give the Celtics their first lead since the opening minute of the game.

The lead changed hands twice more, before Brown's 3-pointer with 4:05 remaining put Boston on top for good.

Miami started the game on a 28-9 run, putting the Celtics in a most unusual early position.

That 19-point margin — only about seven minutes into the game — matched the biggest first-quarter deficit the Celtics faced in a 304-game span since trailing Indiana by 20 early on in a game on Dec. 21, 2022. Boston also trailed Milwaukee by 19 in the first quarter on April 9, 2024.

The Heat played without starting point guard Davion Mitchell (left shoulder contusion) and sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left knee soreness).

Up next

Celtics: At Atlanta on Saturday night.

Heat: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Neemias Queta vs. Bam Adebayo (Payton Pritchard gains possession)	0	0
11:46	Derrick White out of bounds bad pass turnover	0	0
11:31	Andrew Wiggins makes 25-foot three point jumper (Bam Adebayo assists)	3	0
11:15	Jaylen Brown misses 23-foot three point jumper	3	0
11:14	Sam Hauser offensive rebound	3	0
11:14	Sam Hauser makes tip shot	3	2
11:00	Bam Adebayo misses 23-foot three point pullup jump shot	3	2
10:57	Neemias Queta defensive rebound	3	2
10:47	Sam Hauser makes 13-foot pullup jump shot (Payton Pritchard assists)	3	4
10:36	Andrew Wiggins makes 23-foot three point jumper (Bam Adebayo assists)	6	4
10:23	Sam Hauser misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	6	4
10:21	Andrew Wiggins defensive rebound	6	4
10:17	Tyler Herro makes 25-foot running jump shot (Bam Adebayo assists)	9	4
9:59	Jaylen Brown back court turnover	9	4
9:48	Tyler Herro makes 12-foot driving floating jump shot	11	4
9:37	Sam Hauser misses 23-foot three point jumper	11	4
9:35	Pelle Larsson defensive rebound	11	4
9:23	Tyler Herro makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot (Andrew Wiggins assists)	13	4
9:11	Jaylen Brown misses 19-foot pullup jump shot	13	4
9:08	Norman Powell defensive rebound	13	4
8:58	Andrew Wiggins misses 25-foot three point jumper	13	4
8:53	Derrick White defensive rebound	13	4
8:47	Pelle Larsson personal foul	13	4
8:33	Payton Pritchard misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	13	4
8:29	Pelle Larsson defensive rebound	13	4
8:23	Pelle Larsson misses running layup	13	4
8:22	Payton Pritchard defensive rebound	13	4
8:16	Payton Pritchard misses 29-foot three point jumper	13	4
8:11	Andrew Wiggins defensive rebound	13	4
7:59	Bam Adebayo misses 5-foot two point shot	13	4
7:58	Bam Adebayo offensive rebound	13	4
7:58	Bam Adebayo misses tip in dunk	13	4
7:57	Bam Adebayo offensive rebound	13	4
7:54	Bam Adebayo makes 3-foot hook shot	15	4
7:54	Derrick White shooting foul	15	4
7:54	Celtics Full timeout	15	4
7:54	Bam Adebayo makes free throw 1 of 1	16	4
7:44	Derrick White misses 18-foot pullup jump shot	16	4
7:41	Norman Powell defensive rebound	16	4
7:38	Andrew Wiggins makes 3-foot dunk (Tyler Herro assists)	18	4
7:21	Neemias Queta offensive foul	18	4
7:21	Neemias Queta offensive foul turnover	18	4
7:21	Kasparas Jakucionis enters the game for Tyler Herro	18	4
7:21	Anfernee Simons enters the game for Sam Hauser	18	4
7:21	Jordan Walsh enters the game for Derrick White	18	4
7:09	Bam Adebayo misses driving layup	18	4
7:07	Neemias Queta defensive rebound	18	4
7:01	Jaylen Brown makes 30-foot three point jumper (Payton Pritchard assists)	18	7
6:48	Bam Adebayo makes 25-foot three point jumper (Kasparas Jakucionis assists)	21	7
6:31	Neemias Queta makes 4-foot alley oop dunk (Payton Pritchard assists)	21	9
6:19	Bam Adebayo makes driving layup (Norman Powell assists)	23	9
6:19	Jordan Walsh shooting foul	23	9
6:19	Nikola Jovic enters the game for Pelle Larsson	23	9
6:19	Luka Garza enters the game for Neemias Queta	23	9
6:19	Bam Adebayo makes free throw 1 of 1	24	9
6:04	Norman Powell personal foul	24	9
5:54	Jaylen Brown lost ball turnover (Nikola Jovic steals)	24	9
5:50	Norman Powell makes 28-foot running pullup jump shot	27	9
5:49	Celtics Full timeout	27	9
5:35	Anfernee Simons misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	27	9
5:29	Celtics offensive team rebound	27	9
5:29	Luka Garza vs. Nikola Jovic	27	9
5:27	Luka Garza jumpball violation turnover	27	9
5:11	Luka Garza shooting foul	27	9
5:11	Bam Adebayo misses free throw 1 of 2	27	9
5:11	Heat offensive team rebound	27	9
5:11	Bam Adebayo makes free throw 2 of 2	28	9
4:47	Anfernee Simons misses 27-foot three point step back jumpshot	28	9
4:44	Jordan Walsh offensive rebound	28	9
4:41	Anfernee Simons makes 27-foot three point jumper (Payton Pritchard assists)	28	12
4:25	Norman Powell makes 13-foot fade away jump shot (Kasparas Jakucionis assists)	30	12
4:06	Jaylen Brown misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	30	12
4:03	Heat defensive team rebound	30	12
4:03	Luka Garza loose ball foul	30	12
4:03	Kel'el Ware enters the game for Bam Adebayo	30	12
4:03	Pelle Larsson enters the game for Andrew Wiggins	30	12
4:03	Tyler Herro enters the game for Norman Powell	30	12
4:03	Hugo Gonzalez enters the game for Jaylen Brown	30	12
4:03	Derrick White enters the game for Payton Pritchard	30	12
3:57	Nikola Jovic offensive foul	30	12
3:57	Nikola Jovic offensive foul turnover	30	12
3:43	Luka Garza misses 11-foot floating jump shot	30	12
3:42	Celtics offensive team rebound	30	12
3:38	Anfernee Simons makes 27-foot three point jumper (Luka Garza assists)	30	15
3:21	Kel'el Ware misses 23-foot three point jumper	30	15
3:17	Nikola Jovic offensive rebound	30	15
3:17	Nikola Jovic makes tip shot	32	15
3:03	Anfernee Simons misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	32	15
3:00	Jordan Walsh offensive rebound	32	15
2:58	Luka Garza makes 2-foot reverse layup (Jordan Walsh assists)	32	17
2:46	Tyler Herro misses driving floating jump shot	32	17
2:44	Jordan Walsh defensive rebound	32	17
2:29	Luka Garza makes 26-foot three point jumper (Derrick White assists)	32	20
2:27	Heat Full timeout	32	20
2:27	Dru Smith enters the game for Kasparas Jakucionis	32	20
2:15	Derrick White shooting foul	32	20
2:15	Nikola Jovic misses free throw 1 of 2	32	20
2:15	Heat offensive team rebound	32	20
2:15	Nikola Jovic makes free throw 2 of 2	33	20
1:59	Anfernee Simons makes 27-foot three point step back jumpshot	33	23
1:46	Kel'el Ware makes 23-foot three point jumper (Pelle Larsson assists)	36	23
1:35	Nikola Jovic blocks Luka Garza 's 7-foot two point shot	36	23
1:33	Hugo Gonzalez offensive rebound	36	23
1:32	Hugo Gonzalez misses layup	36	23
1:30	Jordan Walsh offensive rebound	36	23
1:24	Neemias Queta enters the game for Luka Garza	36	23
1:21	Dru Smith shooting foul	36	23
1:21	Anfernee Simons makes free throw 1 of 2	36	24
1:21	Anfernee Simons makes free throw 2 of 2	36	25
1:08	Nikola Jovic misses 26-foot three point jumper	36	25
1:05	Neemias Queta defensive rebound	36	25
1:00	Anfernee Simons misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	36	25
57.5	Nikola Jovic defensive rebound	36	25
36.9	Tyler Herro misses 25-foot fade away jump shot	36	25
35.3	Dru Smith offensive rebound	36	25
35.3	Dru Smith misses tip shot	36	25
33.3	Jordan Walsh defensive rebound	36	25
12.1	Derrick White lost ball turnover (Dru Smith steals)	36	25
6.8	Jordan Walsh blocks Tyler Herro 's 3-foot running layup	36	25
6.8	Heat offensive team rebound	36	25
6.8	Baylor Scheierman enters the game for Derrick White	36	25
6.8	Norman Powell enters the game for Pelle Larsson	36	25
4.9	Kel'el Ware misses 25-foot three point jumper	36	25
1.2	Anfernee Simons defensive rebound	36	25
0.5	Anfernee Simons misses heave jump shot	36	25
0.1	Celtics offensive team rebound	36	25
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	36	25

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Kaseya Center

Miami, FL

Date & Time

12:30 AM, January 16, 2026

Coverage

FanDuel SN Sun, NBC Sports BO, NBA League Pass

Attendance

19,700

Referees

Josh Tiven, Gediminas Petraitis, Suyash Mehta

2025-26 Atlantic Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
New York	34	19	.642	W1
Boston	34	19	.642	L1
Toronto	32	22	.593	W2
Philadelphia	30	22	.577	W1
Brooklyn	14	37	.275	W1

2025-26 Southeast Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Orlando	27	24	.529	W2
Miami	28	26	.519	W1
Atlanta	26	28	.481	L1
Charlotte	25	28	.472	W9
Washington	14	38	.269	L2

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Simons scores 39 points off the bench, Brown adds 27 and Celtics rally to stun Heat 119-114

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