The Boston Celtics dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Miami against the Heat in a rather spectacular fashion. Though the Celtics lead for much of the game, a disastrous third quarter and a cunning Jimmy Butler made for a resounding Heat victory. The Celts will look to right the ship Thursday night in South Beach.
Butler was truly spectacular. He finished the night with 41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and four steals. While Jayson Tatum and co. floundered, Butler elevated his game. Miami was the No. 1 seed in the East during the regular season, and in Game 1 they certainly looked like a team locked and loaded.
Boston, meanwhile, looked pretty good for most of the game. They led at halftime and played the Heat even for much of the fourth quarter. It was a calamitous third period that really closed the door on a Celtics win, but there are a few other issues the club in green will need to fix.
With adverse injury news, the road to the NBA finals just got a lot tougher. https://t.co/I0y0TRa0FL
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 18, 2022
Let’s look at what went wrong for Boston in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.