Celtics Dominate Heat in Playoff Opener
Jayson Tatum Triple-Double Powers Boston to 114-94 Victory
Box Score: Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat (April 21, 2024)
The Boston Celtics cruised to a commanding 114-94 victory over the Miami Heat in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on ESPN. Jayson Tatum led the charge for the Celtics with a monster triple-double of 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Tatum's all-around performance set the tone for the Celtics, who never trailed in the game. Jaylen Brown chipped in with 25 points, while Al Horford added 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Heat were unable to keep pace due to the absence of Jimmy Butler, who suffered an ankle injury in Game 1 of the first round.
The Celtics established their dominance early, jumping out to a 32-18 lead after the first quarter. Miami managed to cut the deficit to single digits in the second quarter, but Boston pulled away again in the third, outscoring the Heat 31-17. The fourth quarter was more of the same, as the Celtics cruised to an easy victory.
The Heat were led by Gabe Vincent's 20 points, but they struggled to find consistency from the field. Miami shot just 36.4% from the floor and 20% from three-point range. The Celtics, on the other hand, shot a scorching 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
With Butler sidelined, the Heat were unable to keep up with the Celtics' high-powered offense. Tatum was unstoppable all night, making 12 of his 19 shots from the field and 4 of his 9 shots from three-point range.
The Celtics now have a 1-0 lead in the series and will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead when Game 2 tips off on ESPN on Friday.
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