Celtics Wrap: Boston Bests Heat In Much-Anticipated Playoff Rematch

BOSTON — In a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics earned a 119-111 win over the Miami Heat in the home opener on Friday night at TD Garden.

Boston improved to 2-0 while Miami moved to 1-1.

You can check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Another night, another group of new faces delivered an impact for the Celtics.

On Wednesday, it was Kristaps Porzingis with a historic team debut, scoring 30 points against the New York Knicks.

On Friday night, Jrue Holiday hit an early three-pointer to get the scoring started and had an early impact on both ends of the floor.

JRUE HOLIDAY SAID NOT TODAY 🚫🚫🚫 pic.twitter.com/zAdAl2mkZu

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 28, 2023

Oshae Brissett, another fellow offseason addition, also made an impact on the glass and finished an impressive dunk off of an inside feed from Jayson Tatum.

As the Celtics acquired new talent, the narrative developed around how these new players could unlock the current core for new potential. Boston really found that to end the first half as returners Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White found a groove with a flurry of points and lockdown defense against Miami.

For the first time as a unit, the new starting five all posted double-digit scoring performances. In a close game throughout the second half, Boston found ways to utilize personnel in new ways, a priority that Joe Mazzulla discussed before the game.

In the final minutes of the game, the returners in Brown and White elevated their games with a series of clutch shots.

Against an Eastern Conference foe that has challenged Boston for years, the vision of the new core showed flashes in its first regular-season performance in front of the TD Garden crowd.

STARS OF THE GAME
— White was truly sensational in another strong performance against the Heat, tallying 28 points with efficient three-point shooting and three blocks defensively, two coming on Miami go-to man Jimmy Butler.

— Tatum dazzled for Boston once again, pouring in 22 points.

— Holiday notched his first double-double as a Celtic, contributing 17 points with 10 rebounds.

WAGER WATCH
Holiday entered Friday night with +1000 odds to score the first basket, according to FanDuel SportsBook. With his three-pointer to start the game for Boston, a $100 wager on Holiday would have cashed for $1,000 for a $1,100 total payout.

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UP NEXT
The Celtics return to action on Monday with a trip to the nation’s capital to battle the Washington Wizards. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.