The top two seeds in each conference had very different outings in their playoff openers. In the East, Boston mostly rolled through a Heat team missing Jimmy Butler. In the West, Oklahoma City needed a big game from MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to fend off New Orleans for the Thunder’s first home playoff victory since 2019.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, left, defends as Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum , right, drives toward the basket in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from the bench in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the bench in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches his team in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from the bench in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches from the bench in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the bench in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the bench in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches his team in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches his team in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Oklahoma City. “I see a guy go down, I’ve got my guy’s back — 10 times out of 10,” Brown said Tuesday. “You can’t tell what’s what in the heat of the moment. But it looked like something a little extra, so I said something. But it looked like it was just basketball, it wasn’t intentional. So, we keep moving.” Physicality is up so far in the playoffs and referees have been letting a lot of contact go — to the consternation of Boston will hope to maintain its physical advantage over Miami in Game 2 on Wednesday night while also expecting to see adjustments from a Heat team that struggled offensively with Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier sidelined. The Celtics did to Miami what they did to opponents throughout the season, launching and connecting on a deluge of 3-pointers that helped put the Heat in a 34-point hole.Celtics’ Jayson Tatum OK after collision late in win over Heat and expects nothing less in playoffs“If you think you’re not going to see a different version of Miami, then you’re kidding yourself,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged that must start with addressing the disparity in 3-point shooting. Boston averaged an NBA-high 42.5 attempts per game this season and had 49 in Game 1, making 22. Miami attempted 37 3s — above its regular-season average of 33.7 — and made 12. “We’re not going to bring their 3s down to 25, that’s not realistic. And we’re not going to shoot 50. But there is a balance there,” Spoelstra said. The Pelicans were without star Zion Williamson, but controlled the tempo for most of the game. OKC survived thanks to a big night from MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged his team’s offense wasn’t at the level he’d like, but thinks it was a good start for a group that had seven players participating in their first playoff game. “We got some good looks on some plays, some we can learn from,” he said. “These series are long and you have to improve throughout the series.”— NEED TO KNOW: The Celtics looked like the NBA’s top team in Sunday’s series opener, getting a triple-double from Tatum and tying a franchise playoff record with 22 3-pointers in their 114-94 victory. Boston let up off the gas a little in the fourth quarter, allowing Miami to cut into a 34-point deficit. But with Butler sidelined, the Heat couldn’t match Boston’s firepower. Bam Adebayo did his best carrying the offensive load with 24 points. But Miami’s best healthy shooter, Tyler Herro, was 4 of 13 from the field. — KEEP AN EYE ON: The Celtics’ response to Martin’s foul on Tatum late in Game 1 is worth noting. Boston’s players clearly want to establish their toughness early this postseason. It will be worth watching to see whether that play affects how tightly referees call the rest of the series. — INJURY WATCH: The Heat will again be without Butler, Rozier and Josh Richardson . Celtics reserve center Luke Kornet is also expected to be out again with a strained right calf. — PRESSURE IS ON: Actually, it’s the Celtics. The opener saw Boston continue its dominance at home this season. The Celtics entered the playoffs aware they were carrying championship expectations and don’t want to let up in Game 2 as they try to make this a quick series against the short-handed Heat.— NEED TO KNOW: The Thunder held on in Game 1 despite getting outrebounded 52-44 and giving up 20 rebounds to Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas. The Thunder shot 11 fewer field goals than the Pelicans and couldn’t push the pace like they usually do because they struggled to get boards and forced only 14 turnovers. Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Thunder overcome their sluggish play by scoring 28 points on 11-of-24 shooting. — KEEP AN EYE ON: Thunder center Chet Holmgren’s matchup with Valanciunas. Holmgren struggled at times with Valanciunas’ strength. But Holmgren, a slender rookie who is giving up at least 60 pounds, had his moments with 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. He missed several shots early in Game 1 and was able to get where he wanted. If Holmgren gets hot early, the Thunder will be hard to stop. — INJURY WATCH: The Pelicans will remain without Williamson. New Orleans’ leading scorer is shelved with a strained left hamstring. The Pelicans could have used his offense in Game 1 as they scored just 92 points on 38.5% shooting. — PRESSURE IS ON: Oklahoma City. The Thunder barely escaped Game 1, and a loss at home in Game 2 could allow doubt to creep in for a team whose oldest starters are 25. The Thunder are favored by 7 1/2 points,
Miami Heat Boston NBA LA State Wire MA State Wire OK State Wire Jaylen Brown Jimmy Butler Sports New Orleans Erik Spoelstra NBA Basketball Lebron James Caleb Martin Joe Mazzulla Terry Rozier Zion Williamson Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jayson Tatum
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Thunder vs Celtics Predictions, Picks, and Odds for Tonight’s NBA GameNBA predictions, picks, and odds for the Oklahoma City Thunder at Boston Celtics on 4-3. NBA best bets and same-game parlay analysis.
Read more »
Thunder vs. Celtics prediction: NBA odds, picks, best bets for WednesdayThe Celtics are big favorites at home Wednesday against the Thunder.
Read more »
Porzingis scores 27, Celtics earn home-court advantage in playoffs with 135-100 win over ThunderKristaps Porzingis had 27 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, helping the Boston Celtics power past the Oklahoma City Thunder 135-100 to secure the best record in the NBA and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Read more »
YG Marley Lands in Top 3, Madison Beer in Top 10 in TikTok Billboard Top 50On ‘TikTok Billboard Top 50,’ YG Marley’s “Crazier In The Moonlight” jumps into the Top 3, and Madison Beer lands in Top 10 with “Make You Mine.” Alek Olsen remains at No. 1 for the fourth week consecutively with “Someday I’ll Get It.”
Read more »
Heat's Caleb Martin Says He 'Doesn't Need to Take Out Guys' to Beat CelticsMiami Heat forward Caleb Martin further discussed his hard foul on Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Read more »
Celtics Center Sidelined for Second Straight Game vs. HeatOn Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics aim to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the Miami Heat. But they'll have to do so without a valuable option at center.
Read more »