Adebayo takes center stage as Miami Heat take 2-1 lead in Eastern Conference Final

Miami Heat claimed a hard-fought 109-103 win in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden to go 2-1 up in the series and give themselves some respite in the Eastern Conference Final.

Having lost Game 2 to the Celtics in front of their own fans in Miami, the Miami Heat were out to make amends early on in Boston and they made a blistering start.

The Heat ran away with a 39-18 lead in the first quarter, with Bam Adebayo scoring 12 points for the Heat. In the second quarter, they went on to establish a 26-point lead before the Celtics cut their lead to just 15 points, ending the first half with a 62-47 scoreline.

The Heat lost star Jimmy Butler at half-time to an inflamed knee, leaving them without one of their most important players. Both sides were tied in the third quarter before the Celtics won the fourth quarter by nine points, ultimately falling short on the night 109-103.

Bam Adebayo led the scoring for the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds, with PJ Tucker and Max Strus scoring a combined 33 points in the game.

For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown scored 40 points in the game as Jayson Tatum struggled in the game and ended up with only 10 points. Al Horford scored 20 points for the Celtics.