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Keys to the Game: Celtics 118, Heat 84

Team Reporter and Analyst

May 1, 20249:56 PM EDT

Key Moment

Dominant from the jump. That’s what the Boston Celtics were Wednesday night. They smelled blood in the water, and they went in for the kill.

Boston pulled ahead 7-2 during the first two-plus minutes of action as the offense set the tone for an incredible first quarter of play. The C’s went on to pull ahead by as many as 18 points during the opening frame while dropping 41 points on the Heat.

To put that scoring outburst into perspective, Miami didn’t reach 41 points until the 4:33 mark of the second quarter.

This blowout got underway with 4:26 left in the first quarter when Jayson Tatum dropped in a technical free throw following a coach’s challenge from the Celtics. Tatum’s freebie initiated an 11-0 run, all of which was scored from beyond the arc or at the free-throw line, that helped Boston double Miami up by a count of 32-16 with 2:18 left in the frame.

That wasn’t the last time the Celtics doubled Miami up (or more), either. Boston cruised its way to the winner’s circle and directly into the Eastern Conference Semifinals.