Jimmy Butler scores 41 as Miami Heat defeat Boston Celtics
Jimmy Butler drops 41 points as the Miami Heat pulls away in Game 1 victory.
The Miami Heat defeated the short-handed Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night. Jimmy Butler scored 41 points, Tyler Herro scored 18 and Gabe Vincent added 17 for Miami. Butler had 17 points in the third quarter, vanquishing Boston alone in those 12 minutes.
Max Strus scored 11 and Bam Adebayo went for 10, and the Heat concluded the 118-107 win.
For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and Jaylen Brown added 24. Playing without starters Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (health and safety protocols), Boston led by 13 in the first half and took the lead into halftime.
Even though Boston was dominating the game in the first two quarters, generating 42 points and 17 assists, with Tatum scoring 21 of those 29 points, they couldn’t get back up from the Heat’s third quarter domination.
Game 2 will be a competitive, physical Eastern Conference Finals series on Thursday, May 19 at 8:30 pm ET.