Location: Kaseya Center, MiamiOpponent: Miami Heat

Broadcast: National TV

Narrative: Rookie vs. Playoff Dogs

The Celtics arrived in South Beach cocky.

Five-game win streak.

Everyone was healthy enough.

Even Kyle was walking smoother. He'd been secretly doing cryo, acupuncture, hyperbaric—anything to keep that knee from buckling.

But across the court stood Miami.

Jimmy Butler.

Bam Adebayo.

Kyle Lowry.

Playoff vets with grudges.

They didn't care about Kyle's mixtapes, G League comeback, or Zion matchup.

They wanted blood.

First Quarter – The ToneMiami hit the Celtics like a bat outta hell.

Jimmy stripped Tatum first play

Bam bodied Porziņģis on the block

Heat role players—Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin—hit three straight threes

Score: 18–4 (Miami)

Ime didn't call timeout.

He let them drown.

Kyle tried forcing the issue.

Drove into traffic.

Blocked by Bam.

Then Jimmy snatched his next pass.

Fast break.

Two-hand dunk. Crowd ERUPTS.

Mic picked up Jimmy shouting:

"This ain't no G League, rookie!"

Timeout – Celtics BenchIme stood still. Calm. Icy.

Then, to everyone's surprise, he exploded.

"WAKE THE F*** UP! THIS ISN'T INSTAGRAM BALL! THIS IS MIAMI!"

He looked right at Kyle.

"You wanna be great? THIS is where it starts. You ain't entitled to a damn thing."

Second Quarter – Response… or Lack OfThe bench came in to stop the bleeding.

Hauser, Kornet, Pritchard—they hustled.

But Miami matched everything.

Tyler Herro hit two fadeaways.

Kevin Love started bullying on the boards.

Kyle came back with five minutes left.

Tried isolating on Jimmy.

He danced… pulled up for three—

Airball.

Fans:

"AIR-BALL! AIR-BALL!"

Kyle felt it.

That rookie heat.

Halftime Score: Heat 66, Celtics 38A 28-point blowout.

Silence in the locker room.

No music. No yelling.

Just a low hum from the trainer's bike as Brown pedaled in place.

Kyle sat in front of his locker, breathing heavy, wrapped in ice.

Tatum looked at him.

"You don't have to score 30 to lead. But you do have to set the tone."

Kyle nodded.

Third Quarter – Frustration BuildsCeltics tried pushing back.

Brown with a poster dunk

Tatum with a spin move bucket

Smart hit a three and clapped in Herro's face

But every run was answered.

Bam lob dunk

Jimmy foul bait

Strus with a deep dagger three

Kyle got benched mid-quarter.

Ime pulled him aside.

"You're in your head. You're not reading the floor. You're reacting like a kid."

Kyle muttered under his breath.

Ime leaned closer.

"Say that louder."

Kyle looked away.

"I just hate losing."

Ime:

"Then learn from it."

Fourth Quarter – The Blowout Is RealFinal Score: Heat 121, Celtics 89

Stats? Ugly.

Kyle: 7 pts, 3/13 FG, 4 turnovers

Tatum: 16 pts

Brown: 21 pts

Miami shot 55% from the field

Crowd chanted "OVERRATED" every time Kyle touched the ball in Q4

Postgame Locker RoomNo media allowed.

Ime shut the doors.

He didn't yell.

He didn't scold.

He just said:

"You learn more from this than the last five wins combined. Remember this feeling."

Back in the Hotel – Group Chat Fires UpSmart:

"We all got punked. But we'll be back. Y'all know that."

Brown:

"Win streaks are cute. Titles are built on Ls."

Kyle didn't respond.

He stared at the ceiling.

Pain meds barely dulled the knee now.

His ego hurt more.

But deep down?

He liked this feeling.

The anger.

The hunger.

The humbling.

"They're calling me overrated? Good. That means I mattered tonight. Even in a loss."

He closed his eyes.

Tomorrow was another game.

Another city.

Another lesson.

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