Heat STUN Celtics 123-116 comeback at TD Garden as Miami surpass Boston by 21 points in third quarter to win Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals
- The Celtics appeared to have Game 1 under control heading into the second half
- But the Heat stormed back in the third quarter to take control and win the game
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The Heat quieted a previously deafening crowd in Boston on Wednesday night to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, beating their hosts 123-116 at TD Garden.
The Celtics led by nine at halftime and appeared to be in complete control of the game.
But Miami exploded in the next quarter, beating Boston 46-25 and holding on through the game’s nerve-racking final few minutes.
Jimmy Butler was again great for the Heat. scored 35 points along with seven assists, five rebounds and six steals.
And while the All-Star wing appeared to be unhelpful on offense at times this postseason, it wasn’t on Wednesday as five of its teammates scored at least 15 points.
Jimmy Butler topped the stats with 35 points, seven assists, six steals and five rebounds
Jayson Tatum scored 35 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Celtics to avoid a shock defeat
Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points off the bench in 36 minutes for the Celtics
That included Bam Adebayo, who had 20 points and eight rebounds in an efficient 9-13 night off the field.
Kyle Lowry, who scored 15 points, praised Butler after the game for involving his teammates.
“He’s one of the most selfless security guards I’ve ever seen,” he said on TNT.
For Boston, Jayson Tatum scored 30 points, Jaylen Brown added 22, and Malcolm Brogdon added 19 from the bench.
But Boston couldn’t make the necessary stops in the fourth quarter after coming up with 12 in the final frame.
Miami made history on multiple fronts by winning.
The team’s 46 points in the third quarter were the most in postseason history, and Butler became the third player in NBA playoff history with multiple games of 35+ points, five-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus steals, per NBA history.
The only other players to achieve this feat are Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson.
The win came for Cowboys star Micah Parsons, Bruins winger Taylor Hall and model Chanel Iman.
Game 2 is Friday in Boston.