The Boston Celtics were the most dominant team in the NBA throughout the 2023-24 regular season. That dominance carried over into Game 1 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat in a blowout victory.
The Celtics didn’t miss a step, picking up a 114-94 win. They led by as many as 34 points in a wire-to-wire victory, not trailing once in the contest. It was a total team effort as Boston received contributions from everyone up and down the roster.
Six out of the eight players in the rotation scored in double-figures, led by Jayson Tatum with 23 points. While he didn’t have an efficient shooting game, going 7-of-18 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3-point range, he chipped in across the board.
Along with the 23 points, he pulled down 10 rebounds and handed out 10 assists in his 41 minutes with two steals. According to StatMuse, Tatum is the first Celtics player with a triple-double in a playoff game since Marcus Smart in 2020.
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While Tatum didn’t play efficiently, the rest of his teammates picked up the slack. Boston shot 47.6 percent overall from the field and 44.9 percent from 3-point range. It was a record-setting performance, as the 22 makes tied the all-time record for Boston.
The seven other players all made multiple 3-pointers as the Heat had no answers for them on the perimeter. Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Sam Hauser led the way, making four 3-pointers apiece.
Miami is playing without their best player Jimmy Butler and the Celtics took full advantage. Bam Adebayo did a good job picking up some of the slack scoring 24 points, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 16 points with four rebounds and four assists.
Even at full strength, the deck was stacked against the Heat facing the Celtics. Even without Tatum having a great game, he still recorded a triple-double in a blowout victory for Boston. This could be a quick series if the rest of the supporting cast plays at the same level that they did in Game 1.
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