Without reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics cruised past the Miami Heat on Monday night, securing a dominant road win despite missing key players. Behind Jayson Tatum’s 33-point performance, the defending champions handled business with ease.

Kristaps Porzingis contributed 17 points, while Al Horford and Sam Hauser combined for 31, helping Boston improve to a league-best 22-6 road record. Brown was out due to right knee swelling, and he was joined on the sidelines by two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday, who missed his third consecutive game due to a right shoulder impingement.

Brown last played in Boston’s blowout victory over the Knicks on Saturday but was ruled out against Miami, his first absence since January 3.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked if Brown, Tatum and Holiday’s injuries were a long-term concern, and he delivered five-word response.

“They’re not issues, they’re opportunities,” the 2024 NBA championship head coach said.

Mazzulla on if there are any long term issues with Brown/Tatum/Holiday: “They’re not issues they’re opportunities.”

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) February 10, 2025

So far, that statement has proven true, as the Celtics have performed well even when missing one of their core players. Boston is 6-2 without Brown, 2-1 without Tatum, 7-3 without Holiday and 21-5 without Porzingis, per StatMuse. While staying healthy will be critical in the season’s final stretch, Mazzulla sees no reason to panic.

The Celtics currently hold the third best record in the league (38-16), and will look to make it three wins in a row when Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visit TD Garden on Tuesday.

Having gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, the Celtics remain second in the Eastern Conference standings.