The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 111-101 in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, evening the series at one game apiece. Both teams travel to Miami for Game 3.
Miami had three starters record 20+ points, Tyler Herro (24), Bam Adebayo (21), and Caleb Martin (21); Herro and Adebayo also captured a double-double, with Herro dishing out 14 assists and Adebayo grabbing ten rebounds.
“Niko, take a pic with everyone who dropped 20+ tonight” pic.twitter.com/mPnKBiquWJ
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 25, 2024
For Boston, Jalen Brown (33) and Jayson Tatum (28) led the Celtics in scoring, combining for 61 of Boston’s 101 points and grabbing 16 rebounds together. However, their efforts were insufficient to hold off Miami’s second-half push, as the Celtics came up ten points short of victory.
The Heat are playing without their star guard, Jimmy Butler, who sprained his MCL in Miami’s first-round play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami lost that play-in game, forcing them to face the Chicago Bulls in the play-in elimination, where they captured a victory without Butler.
Miami’s victory in TD Garden without Butler was crucial for the Heat’s playoff chances, as they return home on Saturday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m. While it is unlikely that Butler will return for this series, he will be available for the remainder of the postseason if Miami finds a way to defeat Boston in a seven-game series.
