Jayson Tatum triple-double, 3s lead Celtics past Butler-less Heat 114-94 in playoff opener

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics spent the days leading up to their playoff matchup with Miami talking about wanting to match the physicality of a team that would be looking for an edge without star Jimmy Butler.

Boston did that and then some.

Jayson Tatum notched his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Boston past the Miami Heat 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. The Celtics’ lead grew as high as 34 points in the fourth quarter. Miami used a late run to get as close as 14, but Boston closed it out.

“It’s supposed to be tough. In the playoffs no game is easy," Tatum said. "There’s no guaranteed wins regardless of time and score, how much time is left. ... We just had to respond and we did that.”

Miami spoiled the Celtics’ NBA finals dreams last season, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the conference finals and then blowing them out in Boston in Game 7.

But Boston fed off the energy of the TD Garden crowd on Sunday, tying a franchise playoff record with 22 3-pointers and outscoring the Heat 31-14 in the third quarter.

“There was a four or five-minute stretch when we didn't handle it well, but I think the other 42-43 minutes — that's the recipe," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

Including the regular season, Boston is 38-4 at home and has won its past four meetings with the Heat.

Bam Adebayo scored 24 points for the Miami, which played for the second straight game without star Butler following his right knee injury during the play-in round. Terry Rozier also remained out with a neck injury. Delon Wright added 17 points and tied a career-high with five 3s. Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 16 points. Tyler Herro had 11 points, but shot just 4 of 13 from the field, including 2 of 9 from beyond the arc.

“Applying pressure and making things difficult, not really allowing me to get comfortable really from the beginning,” Herro said. “It's one game. We're going to leave it behind us and keep it moving.”

Game 2 is Wednesday in Boston.

Tempers flared in the final minute when Caleb Martin undercut Tatum on a rebound attempt and sent him crashing hard to floor. Brown got in Martin’s face afterward, leading to a brief scrum and double technical fouls on Brown and Martin.

“It’s a physical game playing against a physical team. (Stuff is) going to happen," Tatum said. "It’s probably not the last time I’m gong to get hit like that, or fouled in this series. I wasn’t hurt to get hit like that. Just get up. ... Just go down there and knock the free throws down.”

Miami was pushed around for most of the game, notably limited to just five offensive rebounds.

That set tone, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“Boston controlled this game from the tip,” he said. “They won the big muscle areas. Definitely won the 3-point line and the majority of the areas in between.”

Boston didn’t have reserve big man Luke Kornet after he strained his right calf in practice on Saturday. But the Celtics’ bench stepped up without him, contributing 30 points.

Sunday’s game had a completely different feel without Butler, whose postseason heroics keyed Miami’s run from play-in qualifier to the NBA finals a year ago.

Boston beat the Heat in all three regular-season meetings this season, including a 33-point drubbing in Miami.

Sunday’s game resembled that one, with the Celtics jumping on the Heat from the opening tap.

On the first possession of the game Tatum was stripped at the last second on a dunk attempt but corralled the loose ball and found Brown for a 3-pointer.

After a Miami miss, Brown followed that up with a drive and spin move past Jaquez Jr. for a two-handed dunk.

It was part of a 17-2 run by the Celtics over the first three-plus minutes. Miami started by missing its first four shots before Adebayo’s short jumper finally got the Heat on the scoreboard.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives as Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) defends in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks to shoot at the basket as Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) defend in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) shoots at the basket as Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) and guard Jrue Holiday, right, defend in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic, left, drives toward the basket as Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) defends in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) drives past Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, right, in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates in front of Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) as the Celtics lead in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives toward the basket as Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) defends in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives past Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) in the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer and scored four times, Mookie Betts also went deep and drove in four runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the New York Mets 10-2 on Thursday night for a 3-1 lead in their lopsided National League Championship Series.

Betts had a two-run homer and a two-run double among his four hits. Max Muncy extended his streak of reaching base safely to 12 plate appearances, a postseason record, and the Dodgers moved within one win of their 25th pennant — most in NL history.

Game 5 is Friday at Citi Field, with Jack Flaherty expected to pitch for Los Angeles looking to put his hometown team in the World Series.

David Peterson was set to make his first playoff start for New York after pitching well out of the bullpen this postseason.

“Peterson is fully rested. Last time he pitched was four days ago. So I’m anticipating him making a regular start,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Surprise cleanup batter Tommy Edman had three RBIs, including a tiebreaking double off starter Jose Quintana with two outs in the third inning. Kiké Hernández followed with an RBI single that made it 3-1.

Betts broke open the game, greeting reliever Jose Buttó with a two-run double in the fourth and then right-hander Phil Maton with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Both big hits followed walks to Ohtani, handed three straight free passes after homering on consecutive swings going back to Game 3.

“Not only Ohtani, you have to take care of the other guys behind him,” Mendoza said. “When he goes out there first at-bat of the game and hits it like that, obviously, it’s a good feeling for them. We knew that wasn’t going to beat us, but we couldn’t just stop it.”

Betts gave a huge fist pump between second and third as he rounded the bases following his third homer of these playoffs.

Mark Vientos provided a rare highlight for New York, hitting his fourth postseason homer in the first inning off $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

But the Mets, who were 14-2 in their past 16 games at Citi Field when they arrived back home Wednesday, were blown out on their own turf for the second successive night.

New York has been outscored 30-9 in the series, including 9-0 in the opener and 8-0 in Game 3.

“You’ve got to give those guys credit. That’s a deep lineup,” Mendoza said. “And whether (our starters) are feeling it or not, we haven’t executed and we haven’t got length from them.”

The latest flop after a thrilling comeback ride this far into October hushed a sellout crowd of 43,882 and left Citi Field eerily quiet in the late innings — and just about as empty as April.

Evan Phillips earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Yamamoto.

Trailing 7-2, the staggering Mets had a chance to get back in the game when they loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth. But then Phillips got two outs and Blake Treinen retired pinch-hitter Jesse Winker on a fly to the right-field warning track.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: All-Star 1B Freddie Freeman missed his second game of the playoffs. Freeman has been playing with a badly sprained and swollen right ankle throughout the postseason.

Mets: Slumping catcher Francisco Alvarez hobbled to first base in pain after getting drilled by Yamamoto's 91 mph sinker to begin the fifth. He was pulled for a pinch hitter with the bases loaded in the sixth.

UP NEXT

Acquired from Detroit at the July 30 trade deadline, Flaherty went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers and finished 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA overall. He allowed two hits over seven innings to win the NLCS opener 9-0.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani scores past New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez on a double by Mookie Betts during the fourth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani scores past New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez on a double by Mookie Betts during the fourth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts after getting hit with a foul ball during the eighth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat and grounds out against the New York Mets during the seventh inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates after scoring on Mookie Betts two-run home run against the New York Mets during the sixth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a double by Mookie Betts during the fourth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts celebrates after a two run double against the New York Mets during the fourth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts hits a two-run home run against the New York Mets during the sixth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts celebrates after a two-run home run against the New York Mets during the sixth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts celebrates after a two-run home run against the New York Mets during the sixth inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)