One year after being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics dismantled the 8-seed in five games to advance to the second round.
The series began with Miami superstar Jimmy Butler and guard Terry Rozier ruled out due to injuries, and the Heat entered last night’s Game 5 without even more firepower. Joining Butler and Rozier on the bench was rookie Jaime Jacquez Jr. Without three key cogs, the Heat stood little chance against the high-powered Celtics. Boston cruised to victory, 118-84.
“That’s how it should be — we should be learning from our mistakes and things we could’ve done better and applying it to the next season, because we’re trying to have a different outcome this year,” said Jayson Tatum.
Tatum posted a game-high +35 in just 32 minutes of action — finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Derrick White’s hot shooting from Game 4 carried over to Wednesday night as he poured in 25 points. Jaylen Brown also put up 25 points to lead the team.
Next, Boston will take on the winner of Cleveland-Orlando — the Cavaliers currently lead the series 3-2. While the Celtics will be a heavy favorite against either opponent, they will be without Kristaps Porzingis. The former All-Star left Game 4 with a strained calf and has been ruled out for at least a week.
