NBA Score: Boston Celtics Defeat Miami Heat Despite Monster Game From Goran Dragic

One of the more demoralizing things for an NBA player is to lose a game after having one of the most productive nights in your playing career. That is exactly what happened to Goran Dragic on Monday. Despite his amazing efforts with scoring and ball distributions, the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat by a score of 112-104, as reported by ESPN.

Goran Dragic decided to go off against the Boston Celtics. Needing only 15 shots, the versatile guard was able to put up 27 points. A bit part of that was because Dragic was able to get to the free throw line at will, making 11 of his 12 shots from there. The eight-year veteran also dished out 17 assists, helping to make the offense much more of a threat to the Celtics defense than they normally would have been.

Hassan Whiteside also had a huge game against the Boston Celtics. After signing a massive free agent contract over the summer, the talented big man wants to prove to the NBA that he deserves to be paid like one of the best in the game. On Monday night, Whiteside produced 25 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks. Those are the types of numbers that can help Miami Heat president Pat Riley justify his decision to commit financially to his starting center.

Ask a typical NBA fan about Rodney McGruder and most will say that they have no clue who he is. However, the starting shooting guard for the Miami Heat has been a part of the rotation for a couple of games now. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has been forced to turned to McGruder because of the assortment of injuries that his perimeter players have suffered. Against the Boston Celtics, McGruder had 11 points and five rebounds, but his six turnovers hurt a bit.

Isaiah Thomas had a horrible shooting night. He missed 16 shots from the field, including eight from beyond the three-point line. Thomas was able to hit all nine of his free throw attempts, though. Despite his woes with shooting, the All Star guard was still able to put up 25 points. Thomas also dished out eight assists, helping his teammates put up points.

Avery Bradley added 18 points and six rebounds. The defensive-minded shooting guard also made both of his shot attempts from beyond the arc, leading many to believe that he should have taken a couple of more shots during the game.

Tyler Zeller was able to put up 10 points and seven rebounds. However, he was unable to slow down Hassan Whiteside.

Jae Crowder recently complained publicly about not receiving as many minutes as he would like to play. Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens decided to give him 32 minutes against the Miami Heat. The versatile small forward rewarded that gesture of faith with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Filling up the stat sheets is something that Crowder is capable of.

In Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk, the Boston Celtics have one of the better inside-outside bench combinations in the NBA. The two of them combined for 26 points off the bench against the Miami Heat. Olynyk also chipped in with six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. With the trade season about to begin in the NBA, many are under the belief that the Celtics might have Smart on the roster when the postseason begins.

With the loss, the Miami Heat are dead last in the Southeast Division. However, the struggling Orlando Magic are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, so Miami might have a chance to move up to the fourth spot pretty soon without needing a lot of wins.

[Featured Image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]