BOSTON – The Boston Celtics obtained off to the beginning they hoped for as they started their quest for the franchise’s 18th championship on Sunday in opposition to the Miami Warmth at TD Backyard.
Jayson Tatum notched his first profession playoff triple-double with 23 factors, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to guide the Boston Celtics previous the Miami Warmth 114-94 on Sunday to open their first-round playoff sequence.
Derrick White added 20 factors and 4 assists for Boston, which completed with six gamers in double-figures.
Miami spoiled the Celtics’ NBA finals goals final season, leaping out to a 3-0 lead within the convention finals after which blowing them out in Boston in Sport 7.
However Boston fed off the power of the TD Backyard crowd on Sunday, flattening 22 3-pointers and outscoring the Warmth 31-14 within the third quarter. The Celtics’ lead grew as excessive as 34 factors within the fourth. Miami used a late run to get as shut as 14, however Boston was capable of shut it out.
Together with the common season, Boston is 38-4 at house and has received its previous 4 conferences with the Warmth.
Bam Adebayo scored 24 factors for the Miami, which performed for the second straight sport with out star Jimmy Butler following his proper knee harm in the course of the play-in spherical. Terry Rozier additionally remained out with a neck harm. Delon Wright added 17 factors. Jaime Jaquez Jr. completed with 16 factors.
Sport 2 is Wednesday in Boston.
Tempers flared within the closing minute when Caleb Martin undercut Tatum on a rebound try and despatched him crashing laborious to ground. Brown obtained in Martin’s face afterward, resulting in a quick scrum and double technical fouls on Brown and Martin.
Boston did not have reserve huge man Luke Kornet after he strained his proper calf in follow on Saturday. However the Celtics’ bench stepped up with out him, contributing 30 factors.
Sunday’s sport had a totally totally different really feel with out Butler, whose postseason heroics keyed Miami’s run from play-in qualifier to the NBA finals a yr in the past.
Boston beat the Warmth in all three regular-season conferences this season, together with a 33-point drubbing in Miami.
Sunday’s sport resembled that one, with the Celtics leaping on the Warmth from the opening faucet.
On the primary possession of the sport Tatum was stripped on the final second on a dunk try however corralled the free ball and located Brown for a 3-pointer.
After a Miami miss, Brown adopted that up with a drive and spin transfer previous Jaime Jaquez Jr. for a two-handed dunk.
It was a part of a 17-2 run by the Celtics over the primary three-plus minutes. Miami began by lacking its first 4 photographs earlier than Adebayo’s brief jumper lastly obtained the Warmth on the scoreboard.
