The Boston Celtics reminded everyone why they are the NBA Finals favorites. Six players scored in double figures, including all starters except for Jrue Holiday. Some role players even hit double figures. It was a great team win for the Celtics.
The Boston Celtics are one game into their quest to seek revenge against the team they lost to in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The Celtics started the game by going on a 12-0 run. Boston’s largest lead was 34 on the way to a resounding Game 1 victory.
A Solid Performance From Multiple Players
Keep feeding KP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mBlDhqKjPL
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 21, 2024
The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 114-94 in an easy victory on Sunday afternoon. The team has gotten their playoff run off to a great start. Aside from the starters, Sam Hauser and Al Horford also hit double figures, with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Multiple Celtics players contributed to this win. Jayson Tatum led the team in scoring with 23 points, along with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals. Derrick White was second in scoring with 20 points along with four assists. Big man Kristaps Porzingis recorded 18 points, including knocking down four three-pointers. This is tied for the third-most threes this season for Porzingis. The most threes he scored were six on January 21.
Porzingis and the rest of the crew were on fire from three-point range. They made almost 45 percent of their threes. The Celtics’ 22 three-pointers tie a franchise playoff record. In addition to Kristaps Porzingis’ four triples, Derrick White drained four three-pointers.
Jaylen Brown was also very efficient from deep, converting three of his five three-point attempts. Jayson Tatum was the only starter who struggled from three, making just one of eight shots attempted.
The Boston Celtics were always a three-heavy team this season. They had the highest percentage of points in the NBA come from three-pointers, at 41 percent. Boston’s heavy use of shots from deep has worked for them so far. Will they have the same level of success when their threes aren’t falling, though? That remains to be seen.
Along with the effective three-point shooting, the Celtics won the rebound and assist battle. The team grabbed 44 rebounds to the Heat’s 34. Additionally, the C’s recorded ten offensive rebounds, double the amount Miami got.
The Boston Celtics also distributed the ball better, racking up 27 assists, while the Heat had 23. The Celtics are looking like a well-oiled machine with a united front behind Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis.
In the last playoffs, the Boston Celtics were very hot and cold. You never really knew what Celtics team you were going to get that night. Hopefully, for Boston Celtics fans’ sake, they’re more steady this time around.
The Heat Are Cooling Down Without Jimmy Butler
Putting a winning effort out on the court might be tough without Jimmy Butler, one of their leading scorers. Butler suffered a right MCL injury in the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. He is expected to miss several weeks.
The Heat not scoring for the first three minutes of the game wasn’t a great start, but the fact that they only scored 14 points in the third quarter was a key sign that they weren’t going to come close in this game.
This injury for Jimmy Butler might be season-ending if the Heat don’t step up their game. Guard Tyler Herro, who tied Butler in points per game this season at 20.8, will have to carry more of the load to get this team back on track.
After having a losing record at home in the playoffs last season, including a gut-wrenching Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 loss, the Boston Celtics have already picked up a home win. It seems strange that the Celtics struggled to win at home last playoffs with such an energetic, passionate, and diehard fanbase at the TD Garden every home game.
Along with the effective three-point shooting, the Celtics won the rebound and assist battle. The team grabbed 44 rebounds to the Heat’s 34. Additionally, the C’s recorded ten offensive rebounds, double the amount Miami got.
The Boston Celtics also distributed the ball better, racking up 27 assists, while the Heat had 23. The Celtics are looking like a well-oiled machine with a united front behind Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis.
In the last playoffs, the Boston Celtics were very hot and cold. You never really knew what Celtics team you were going to get that night. Hopefully, for Boston Celtics fans’ sake, they’re more steady this time around.
Will The Boston Celtics Get Revenge On The Heat?
Things are looking promising for the Boston Celtics in this series so far. They are hitting a lot of their shots. A high number of players are contributing, and they are playing against an injured Miami Heat team. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is known to make great adjustments game-to-game in the playoffs.
If Heat guard Tyler Herro gets hot from three and has a better field-goal percentage than he had tonight, the Heat could make this series more interesting. Additionally, if Bam Adebayo has more 24-point games and continues to have his way in the post, start looking for these games to become closer.
Even with this being said, the Boston Celtics are still the heavy favorites to win this series. This series would likely be close again if it had the same rosters as last year, but it’s not. The Celtics added players like Kristaps Porzingis, who has been huge for them this season. The addition of a big man who is solid on defense and is also a great shooter cannot be understated. Jimmy Butler was the guy who propelled this Heat team.
Without Butler, this team’s ceiling is very low. I cannot see them making this series close without their best player. If things continue to go like they have, the Boston Celtics are going to end this series quickly.
About The Author
Cooper Sherman is an avid NFL fan and enjoys watching and covering it the most. The NFL is king. He previously wrote and was a podcaster for the online publications Pro Sports Fanatics and Jersey Column. He is also an NBA fan and watches it occasionally, more when the NFL season ends. Tennis is also an underrated sport to watch. His teams are the Patriots and Celtics, as tough as it is to be a Patriots fan right now. He is optimistic that Jerod Mayo will turn this team in the right direction! Follow him on Instagram and Threads @coopstershermy456, and X/Twitter @justcoopthings.
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