The Miami Heat shot the lights out and left the Boston Celtics in the dark on Sunday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Another performance like that in Game 4 on Tuesday in Miami and the eighth-seeded Heat will advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.

Gabe Vincent scored a career-high 29 points in Miami’s 128-102 victory over visiting Boston on Sunday.

Vincent made 11 of 14 shots from the floor — including 6 of 9 from 3-point range — and Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin scored 22 and 18 points off the bench, respectively.

Jimmy Butler collected 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Heat, who shot a blistering 56.8 percent from the field (46 of 81) and 54.3 percent from 3-point range (19 of 35). Miami improved to 6-0 at home in the playoffs.

“That was a solid, mature, professional approach,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There is a lot of pent-up stuff here and we’re getting closer, but we still have to finish this off.”

Bam Adebayo scored 13 points and Max Strus added 10 as the Heat seized control of the contest by outscoring the second-seeded Celtics by a 32-17 margin in the third quarter.

“The game was as big as an ocean for everybody,” Adebayo said.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 12 points, although the pair combined to make just 12 of 35 shots from the floor and 1 of 14 from 3-point range.

“Collectively we can point fingers, but in reality, it was just embarrassing,” Brown said.

The Celtics have their backs against the wall. No team in NBA history has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series.

“I just didn’t have them ready to play,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Whatever it was, whether it was the starting lineup or it was an adjustment, I have to get them in a better place to play — that’s on me.”

Boston whittled a 22-point deficit down to 12 at 61-49 after Marcus Smart converted a three-point play to start the third quarter. Miami answered with a 28-9 run to seize control of the game, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers by Vincent.

The Heat carried a 93-63 lead into the fourth quarter before both teams opted to rest their stars. Vincent sandwiched 3-pointers around a three-point play and Robinson converted from beyond the arc to extend Miami’s advantage to 112-83 with 4:43 to play.

Miami claimed a 61-46 lead at halftime after shooting a sizzling 57.5 percent from the floor (23 of 40) and 45 percent from 3-point range (9 of 20). Martin sank a trio of 3-pointers to highlight his 11-point performance, while Robinson and Vincent each made a pair from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points apiece.

Miami’s Kevin Love scored five quick points to start the game before exiting after five minutes with an ankle injury. He did not return.

–Field Level Media

The top team in the Western Conference during the regular season is looking every bit the part of an elite squad as the Denver Nuggets are poised to sweep their way into the first NBA Finals in franchise history.

The Nuggets will get their first chance to advance Monday in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the host Los Angeles Lakers. Denver won its third consecutive game in the series Saturday with a 119-108 victory at Los Angeles.

The Lakers erased all of a double-digit deficit in the first half to lead 94-93 with 7:48 remaining before the Nuggets went on a decisive 13-0 run to take a 106-94 lead on a Nikola Jokic shot inside with 4:50 left. It was a three-minute stretch that brought Denver to the brink of where it has never been before.

Jokic scored 24 points with eight assists and six rebounds, with his effectiveness diminished by early foul trouble. The effort ended his run of four consecutive playoff triple-doubles. Jamal Murray stepped up with 30 first-half points and 37 in the game, while former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 17.

“I never doubted my team,” Jokic said. “I know they’re capable. You saw it in the third quarter. (Caldwell-Pope) had a huge segment, like four minutes. He had a big box-out on (Anthony Davs), he had a steal, he had a big 3-pointer. We have some really good players that can step up in the right moment, and that’s what we did.”

The Nuggets essentially get four chances to advance, with two of those at home, if necessary. If the Lakers can earn a victory in Game 4, the series would shift to Denver for Game 5 on Wednesday.

“I did see poise tonight,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “With foul trouble, Nikola going out, there wasn’t a panic. It was, ‘OK, he’s out, that means somebody else has to step up.’ I think that’s something our team has done time and time again. I know it’s cliche, but that next-man-up mentality has really served us well over the years.”

The Lakers’ impressive run through the postseason looks to have run out of steam. They needed to get through the play-in tournament just to get into the playoff field and then got through the No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the second round.

And while the Lakers have been competitive in all three games of the Western Conference finals, they have lacked the finishing kick needed to take a game so far.

“I mean, I think the deficit is 3-0, not 4-0, so as long as they have not gotten to four yet, there’s still hope,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. “We’re still alive. We just have to focus on winning one game.

Davis scored 28 points with 18 rebounds in Game 3, while LeBron James and Austin Reaves each scored 23. James added 12 assists. On defense, the Lakers watched the Nuggets shoot 60.0 percent in the fourth quarter. Denver also recorded 30 assists and committed just six turnovers.

“I can’t speak for the guys right now because I don’t know what’s going on through all their minds right now, but I still (have belief),” James said. “So you know, it’s time to go right back home and start to refuel and start the treatment process and recovery process and get ready for Monday. My mindset is always locked in as if it’s Game 1.”

–Field Level Media