Eastern Conference Final: Jimmy Butler leads Heat to Game 1 win over Celtics

Jimmy Butler was once again key as the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. Miami claimed a 123-116 win to claim an important win on the road.

Butler led the scoring with 35 points for the Heat, who displayed a brilliant third quarter performance to win the game against the Celtics, having been down at the end of the first half. Butler also recorded six steals, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 35 points and six steals in a playoff game. Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points and D’Tigers star Gabe Vincent added 15 points for the Heat.

Jayson Tatum scored 30 points for the Celtics in the game, and Jaylen Brown added 22 points. The sides will face each other in a pivotal Game 2 on Friday before the series heads back to Miami.