BOSTON (AP) Jayson Tatum had his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Miami Heat past the Boston Celtics 114-94 on Sunday to open their first-round playoff series.
Derrick White added 20 points and four assists for Boston, which finished with six players in double figures.
Miami spoiled the Celtics' NBA Finals dreams last season, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the conference finals and then blowing them in Game 7 in Boston.
But Boston fed off the energy of the TD Garden crowd on Sunday, hitting 22 3-pointers and outscoring the Heat 31-14 in the third quarter. The Celtics lead grew to 34 points in the fourth. Miami used a late run to get as close as 14, but Boston was able to close it out.
Including the regular season, Boston is 38-4 at home and has won the last four meetings with the Heat.
Bam Adebayo scored 24 points for Miami, which was without star Jimmy Butler for the second straight game following a right knee injury suffered during the play-in round. Terry Rozier is also out with a neck injury. Delon Wright added 17 points. Jaime Jacques Jr. finished with 16 points.
Game 2 is Wednesday in Boston.
Tempers erupted in the final minute when Caleb Martin undercut Tatum on the other end attempt, sending him crashing to the ground. Brown then tripped Martin in the face, leading to a brief scrum and double technical fouls on Brown and Martin.
Boston is without big man Luke Cornette after straining his right calf in practice on Saturday. But the Celtics' bench stepped up without him, contributing 30 points.
Sunday's game had an entirely different feel without Butler, whose postseason heroics keyed Miami's run from a play-in qualifier to the NBA Finals a year ago.
Boston has beaten the Heat in all three regular-season meetings this season, including a 33-point loss at Miami.
Sunday's game was similar, with the Celtics jumping on the Heat from the opening faucet.
On the game's first possession, Tatum was stripped on a last-second dunk attempt, but connected on the loose ball and found Brown for a 3-pointer.
After a Miami miss, Brown followed that up with a drive-and-spin pass to Jaime Jacques Jr. for a two-handed dunk.
It was part of the Celtics' 17-2 run in the first three-plus minutes. Miami missed its first four shots before Adebayo's short jumper finally got the Heat on the scoreboard.
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