NBA Playoffs: Celtics Dominate Heat in Game 1
A sizzling start allows the Celtics to crush the Heat by 20 points in the opener of their Eastern Conference playoff series. The Boston Celtics received 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists from Jayson Tatum and breezed to a 114-94 victory over the visiting Miami Heat in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Key Highlights:
- Boston Celtics made 22 of 49 attempts from three-point range (44.9%).
- All eight Celtics who saw playing time made a three-point attempt.
- Top scorers for the Celtics included Derrick White (20 points), Kristaps Porzingis (18), Jaylen Brown (17), Sam Hauser (12), and Al Horford (10).
- Miami’s Bam Adebayo led all scorers with 24 points.
- Miami coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged Boston’s control throughout the game.
Post-Game Reactions:
“His mindset approach throughout the game was great,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of Tatum. “I thought he played with great patience, thought he picked and chose the spots very well.”
“We had a good week of practice, and we’re ready to go,” White said. “We got a good win in Game 1. We made them work (on offense). They’re going to keep coming at us for 48 minutes, so learn from this one and get ready for Game 2.”
“Credit to Boston,” said Miami’s Tyler Herro. “I thought they came out with a lot of energy. They really applied pressure from the beginning on both ends of the court.”
Game Analysis:
Miami used a 26-7 run to pull within 103-88 with 3:58 remaining, but the Heat failed to get any closer than 14 in the final minutes. Boston controlled the game from the tip-off, establishing an early lead that Miami struggled to overcome.