Heat open with road win again
They take control in 46-point third quarter, Butler leading Game 1 win in Eastern finals.
BOSTON — Jimmy Butler scored 35 points, including 23 after halftime, and the Miami Heat rallied in the second half to beat the Boston Celtics 123-116 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.
Miami trailed by nine at the half before turning it around with a franchise playoff-record 46 points in the third quarter and by outscoring Boston 66-50 over the final two quarters. It was Butler’s fifth game with 30 or more points this postseason and he added seven assists, six steals and five rebounds.
“One of the premier twoway basketball players of this association . ... That’s what we needed,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Down the stretch Jimmy was able to do everything we needed — as a scorer and as a facilitator.”
Bam Adebayo added 20 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus added 15 points apiece. The Heat went 16 for 31 from three-point range.
The No. 8-seeded Heat have opened all three playoff series with road victories. Game 2 is Friday in Boston.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 30 points but didn’t take a shot in the
fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Malcolm Brogdon added 19 points.
The Celtics, who are at their best when they’re defending and getting up more shots than their opponents, were 10 for 29 from beyond the arc.
“We lost our offensive purpose,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
This is the third time in four seasons that the Heat and Celtics have met in the conference finals. Boston won last year’s matchup in seven games.
Spoelstra said his team was “more intentional” over the final 24 minutes.