The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon, winning Game 1 of their first-round series, 114-94. With Jimmy Butler sidelined, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will carry the load on offense.
Jrue Holiday shut out Herro and Kristaps Porzingis tied the match against Adebayo. The Heat's big man finished the game with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, but it wasn't enough.
Porzingis gave Adebayo a hard time. Adebayo survived with a good mix of mid-range jumpers and post-ups with multiple hands on his face.
After the fight, Porzingis was asked if he personally would consider facing Adebayo. He laughed and said he didn't care about one-on-one battles. All he cares about is helping the Celtics beat the Heat.
”no, this is business” Porzingis said when asked if he would get a mom. “Of course we want to stop him as much as possible, but we understand that they will always take advantage of him. [and] He will be involved in any situation.
“I don't care about him. I care about our team and what we're trying to accomplish. This isn't one-on-one, it's me versus bam. It's Celtics versus Heat. So we make sure that is our focus.”
Porzingis finished the game with 18 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks. He shot 7-of-13 from the field and 4-of-8 from behind the 3-point line.
Unless Butler returns, Adebayo will have to shoulder a heavy burden offensively. It will be up to Porzingis and the rest of the Celtics to slow him down.
References
Caleb Martin comments on conflict with Jayson Tatum
Celtics bench star played role in Game 1 win vs. Heat: “Our team's identity''
Jayson Tatum on first career playoff triple-double: 'Beautiful game'
Celtics defend parquet with overwhelming performance in Game 1 vs. Heat
Kristaps Porzingis reveals Celtics' mindset heading into the playoffs
How will they adapt to the heat without Jimmy Butler?Joe Mazzula weighs in
'I knew it': Jaylen Brown on Celtics tying Heat in first round
