Boston Celtics center Al Horford, right, battles for a rebound against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 29 points, Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Boston Celtics rolled past the Miami Heat 122-92 on Monday night.
Boston led by as many as 32 on their way to claiming its fourth victory in five outings. Marcus Smart added 16 points and seven assists.
It was Brown’s fourth consecutive game with 25 or more points, and Tatum has scored 20 or more in his last six games.
Miami has lost two straight and struggled mightily without several key players in the first of its six-game road trip: Jimmy Butler (toe), P.J. Tucker (knee) and point guard Kyle Lowry, who missed his eighth consecutive game for personal reasons.
In their absence, Max Strus finished 27 points. Caleb Martin had 14 points and Bam Adebayo chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Miami also was coming off a triple-overtime loss to Toronto on Saturday.
The Celtics connected on eight of their first 11 shots and jumped out to a 21-7 lead. Miami struggled for quality looks on its end of the floor, shooting just 29% (6 of 21) in the opening period.
The Heat settled down, starting the second quarter on an 18-5 run to tie the game at 32. It prompted Celtics coach Ime Udoka to call a timeout. His team immediately responded with seven straight points to key a 22-13 run to close the half.
Boston led 67-52 in the third when Adebayo was assessed a technical at the 8:38 mark and pulled from the game by coach Erik Spoelstra. By the time Adebayo returned with 2:04 left in the period, Boston’s lead had grown to 86-67. The Celtics took a 94-70 edge into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Heat: Shot 39% (34 of 87) for the game. … Had five turnovers leading to 10 Boston points in the third quarter. … Rookie C Omer Yurtseven missed the game after being placed in the health and safety protocols.
Celtics: Had 16 3-pointers. … Outscored the Heat 40-25 in the third quarter. … Shot just 5 of 12 from the free-throw line in the second quarter. … Recognized former players Eddie House (2007-10) and Brandon Bass (2011-15) in continuation of their season-long salute to past Celtics as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary season.
UP NEXT
Heat: At Toronto on Tuesday.
Celtics: Host Hornets on Wednesday.
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