Celtics Ride Historic First Quarter To Record-Setting Road Win Vs. Heat originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The first quarter can sometimes set the tone for the rest of the game, and that’s exactly what happened in Wednesday’s clash between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
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Both teams started the game on fire, but the Celtics couldn’t miss, especially from beyond the arc. Coming off a tough loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, they came out firing. They nailed 11 3-pointers in the first quarter and Jaylen Brown scored 20 points, propelling Boston to a whopping 53 points in the opening frame.
It was the Celtics’ most first-quarter points in franchise history and their second-most in any quarter during the shot clock era, behind only a 54-point quarter in 1970. They shot 71% from the field, 73% from downtown and ended the quarter on a 32-9 run.
The Heat also started strong offensively with 33 points in the first quarter, which means the two teams combined for 86 points in the opening frame. However, they never truly recovered from Boston’s opening blitz.
Both teams slowed down a bit in the second quarter, but Boston still took an 80-57 lead into halftime.
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As usual, Erik Spoelstra made some adjustments at the half and helped get Miami back into the game. The Heat erupted for 45 points in the third quarter, cutting the Celtics’ lead to 10 going into the fourth.
Boston finished the game strong, however, pulling away in the fourth for a 147-129 victory in Miami. Brown finished with 43 points after his impressive start and Jayson Tatum stayed hot with his first triple-double of the season, racking up 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists. Sam Hauser also had one of his best games of the year with 23 points on 9 of 11 shooting, including 5 of 7 from downtown.
Both teams had six players score in double figures, as the game turned into a surprising shootout despite both sides ranking top 10 in defensive rating coming n. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
The Celtics will try to end their road trip on a high note against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
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