10 takeaways as Celtics cruise past Heat in balanced effort

Luke Kornet was a menace defensively. Payton Pritchard continued his torrid stretch offensively.

The shorthanded Celtics had no trouble dispatching the Heat, 108-89, Monday night at TD Garden.

Here are 10 takeaways, as Boston moved to 17-4 on the season following a convincing effort.

1. Defense dominated

The Celtics held the Heat to 34.9 percent from the floor and 20.6 percent from 3-point range.

Every Heat starter shot below 50 percent on the night, as Boston kept an opponent under 90 for the first time in the regular season since March of last year.

Part of it was players like Bam Adebayo missing shots they often make, but the Celtics deserve credit for rotating well, closing out on shooters and consistently forcing the Heat into tough twos.

2. Kornet about it

Luke Kornet was the catalyst defensively, tying his career high with six blocks. He didn’t bust out the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag this time, but the Heat certainly got the message.

One of his best blocks came early in the third quarter when he helped at the last second and swatted Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s shot. The grand finale happened moments later, as Kornet recovered to reject Tyler Herro and set up a Jayson Tatum 3.

The Celtics are 10-0 when Kornet starts over the last two seasons. Coincidence? Probably not.

3. Payton Pritchard can’t be stopped

Payton Pritchard contributed 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, to go with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Per Celtics statistician Dick Lipe, Pritchard is the first Celtic to string together four straight 20-point games off bench since Isaiah Thomas in 2015. He continues to strengthen his Sixth Man of the Year case and is the clear favorite at the moment.

He scored from all three levels, was fearless in the lane and was a pest defensively. And yes, he beat the buzzer again (this one was a layup, but it was still impressive).

4. Jaylen Brown living at the line

Jaylen Brown entered Monday averaging a career-high 6.8 free-throw attempts per game and shooting a career-best 76.5 percent from the stripe.

He upped both those totals against the Heat, attacking the basket early and often and finishing 9 of 10. Brown is one of the best transition players in the league, so there’s no reason he shouldn’t get to the line frequently.

When he’s playing downhill, and with poise in the paint, he’s almost unguardable.

5. Depth on display

With Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford sidelined, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to a variety of options.

Derrick White, Brown, Tatum, Jordan Walsh and Kornet got the start. Drew Peterson played 23 minutes, Baylor Scheierman 10 and every Celtic saw the floor in some capacity.

Peterson finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds, making a conscious effort to do work on the glass. Scheierman didn’t hit a shot, but he was active defensively and made a sweet no-look pass to Brown for a corner 3.

The reserves have shown they’re ready when they get their opportunity.

The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Nikola Jovic and old friend Josh Richardson. No one played particularly well.

6. A bit messy in the third

It was largely a smooth and stress-free win for the Celtics, but it did get a bit sloppy early in the third quarter.

Tatum, who finished with six turnovers, coughed it up multiple times early in the quarter. The Celtics had four turnovers in the first two minutes after finishing with just three in the first half.

When they’re at their best, they’re OK with occasional turnovers like the prime Warriors were a few years back. If they’re moving the ball with a purpose, and looking for the right shots, the occasional miscue is inevitable.

But these turnovers were more a result of miscommunication and what appeared to be complacency, which isn’t ideal. They quickly cleaned it up, however, and returned to form.

7. A supremely confident Derrick White

Derrick White has always been a confident shooter, but he looks more confident than ever at the moment. White, who shot 5-of-12 from 3 en route to 19 points, is wasting no time when he catches the ball in rhythm.

It doesn’t matter where he is or who’s on him. If he has a sliver of space, he’s going to let it fly. That’s exactly what he should do. White has hit at least four 3-pointers in four straight games and continues to strength his All-Star resume.

He’s going to be checking his pockets an awful lot if he keeps this up.

8. The Peterson look-back

After splashing a corner 3, Peterson looked back at the Heat bench to let them know he meant business.

Peterson, who shined in the Summer League for the Heat before getting released, reminded his old pals that he’s been in the lab. He’s made the most of his opportunity over the past two nights and deserves to see time moving forward.

9. Dominating the glass

The Celtics rebounded quite well, corralling 54 boards to 44 for Miami. Tatum had 11, and Brown, Neemias Queta and Peterson added seven apiece to lead the way.

Boston isn’t a bad rebounding team (14th entering Monday), but it’s definitely an area to tighten up overall – particularly when Porzingis is out. This was a promising sign, as the Celtics exceeded their season average by 10.

10. Another quick turnaround

This was the opener in a four-game homestand, as the Celtics welcome the Pistons to town Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. After that, it’s the Bucks on Friday, then Marcus Smart’s return with the Grizzlies on Saturday.

As of Monday, the Celtics sit one game behind the Cavaliers and have the second-best record in the NBA.