In this rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat got an early lead with their 123-116 victory in Game 1 of the road series against the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics entered the locker room with the lead at halftime, but head coach Erik Spoelstra clearly made adjustments as they stormed out in the third quarter, erasing the deficit and eventually leading Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla to throw his clipboard in frustration. during a waiting time.

The Heat outscored the Celtics 46-25 in the quarter, allowing them to turn the tide on the road and ultimately hold off the Celtics for the win.

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Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics walks up the backcourt during the third quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on May 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Miami has been hot since coming in as the bottom seed in the East, defeating the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks before defeating the New York Knicks in six games. They have now won Game 1 of each of their road playoff series this postseason.

With their 103-91 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Heat knew the Celtics weren’t going to lie down and accept defeat. But Miami was able to block Jayson Tatum, Boston’s leading scorer, limiting him to just five shot attempts in the half, arguably Spoelstra’s best fit in the half.

After Caleb Martin hit a corner 3-pointer to make it 117-110 late in the quarter, Tatum had back-to-back trips at the other end, effectively ending the Celtics’ chances of recapturing Game 1 on their home court. .

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Jimmy Butler’s friendly throw on a 3-pointer and some free throws in the closing seconds has Miami in the driver’s seat in this series.

Butler, of course, was the Heat’s rock with 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting and 10-of-11 from the charity line from the free throw line. He had five rebounds, seven assists and six steals on the night as well.

The Heat also saw fantastic 3-point shooting once again, going 16 of 31 as a team from beyond the arc (51.6%). Gabe Vincent and Max Strus each had three while Butler and Kevin Love knocked down two. Martin came off the bench with three as did Kyle Lowry.

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Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat is defended by Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Bam Adebayo, the Heat’s big man, had 20 points with eight rebounds and five assists as well.

On the other hand, the Celtics struggled from three-point ground, shooting 34.5% on the perimeter.

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Tatum finished with 30 points, including a perfect 11 of 11 from the free throw line and 9 of 17 shooting. Jaylen Brown also scored 22 points on 10-for-21 shooting from the field, though he was 1-for-6 from 3-point territory.

Malcolm Brogdon also had 19 points off the bench for the Celtics.

Jimmy Butler drives

Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler #22 is defended by Boston Celtics’ Derrick White #9 during the third quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

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Game 2 of the series will kick off Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET from Boston before the series heads to Miami.