BOSTON (AP) — If this playoff run is about redemption for the Boston Celtics, it had to start with exacting some revenge against the Miami Heat. A year ago, Miami embarrassed Boston in a Game 7 showdown at TD Garden. This time, the Celtics returned the favor. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the short-handed Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Boston will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series. The Cavaliers lead 3-2, with Game 6 in Orlando on Friday night. Brown said they went into the ga ..read more

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat will be without yet another starter when they face an elimination game in Boston on Wednesday night. Rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. did not travel with the team on Tuesday to Boston for a Game 5 against the Celtics, ruled out with a strained right hip flexor. Jaquez Jr. joins Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck) on the list of Miami starters sidelined by injuries. The Heat have also been without guard Josh Richardson for months following shoulder surgery. Jaquez Jr. left Game 4 against the Celtics — a 102-88 loss — on Monday night after suffering t ..read more

MIAMI (AP) — The good news for the Miami Heat is that the Boston Celtics might not be back in South Florida for a few months. And that’s also the bad news for the Heat. Boston now has full control of this Eastern Conference series, with Derrick White scoring a career-high 38 points on Monday night and leading the top-seeded Celtics past the eighth-seeded Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their opening-round NBA playoff series. “I made a couple shots early,” said White, who was 15 of 26 from the field and 8 of 15 from 3-point range. “That always helps. Once you make a couple, the basket looks h ..read more

MIAMI (AP) — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points, and the Boston Celtics soundly beat the Miami Heat 104-84 on Saturday night to a take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Tatum added 10 rebounds and six assists for the Celtics, who led Game 3 wire-to-wire and reclaimed the home-court edge that they lost when Miami won Game 2 in Boston. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and Derrick White scored 16 for the Celtics, who used runs of 12-3, 11-0 and 20-8 in the first half to take full control. Bam Adebayo scored 20 points for eighth-seeded Miami, which ..read more

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler says he wants to play in the NBA playoffs, though there’s no timetable for his return from a sprained MCL. The Miami Heat forward spoke to TNT during a first-quarter stoppage of his team’s Eastern Conference first-round game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, as he watched from the team’s bench area. Butler got hurt in the play-in round against Philadelphia and has missed all four Heat games since. “I don’t know about a timeline, but we’ve been working,” Butler said during the televised interview. “I want to hoop. I want to get out here. I want some of this ..read more

(AP) — The Boston Celtics visit the Miami Heat for game three of the Eastern Conference first round with the series tied 1-1. The teams meet for the sixth time this season. Miami is 32-20 against the Eastern Conference, and Boston is 41-11 against conference opponents. Boston Celtics (64-18, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (46-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference) Miami; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Celtics -9; over/under is 204 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1 BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics are in a 1-1 series tie in the Easte ..read more

BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Heat beat Boston with an unprecedented barrage of 3-pointers on Wednesday night to erase the home-court advantage the Celtics worked all season to establish. Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting six of Miami’s 23 3-pointers — the most in a playoff game in franchise history — to lead the Heat to a 111-101 victory over top-seeded Boston and tie the first-round playoff series at one game apiece. Bam Adebayo had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and new Celtics nemesis Caleb Martin also had 21 points for the Heat, who shot 53.5% (23 of 43) from beyond the arc to bounc ..read more

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 fourt ..read more

BOSTON (AP) — As the Boston Celtics prepare for what they hope will be their latest NBA title run, coach Joe Mazzulla had his team look to past NBA champions for inspiration. The list included sworn adversaries, like the Los Angeles Lakers and their 2010 run, as well as the last Boston team to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008. “Every path is different,” Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum said. “The ’08 team, they went to two Game 7s in the first and second round. He’s just getting us prepared. It’s not always going to go maybe how we expect it or want it to go. And we have to be rea ..read more

With Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler sidelined after suffering a right knee injury during Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Heat are set to face off against the Chicago Bulls in a win-or-else game Friday night in the NBA’s play-in tournament. Butler suffered an MCL sprain on his right knee during the final seconds of the opening quarter in the Heat’s play-in loss against Philadelphia. He played for 40 minutes and was able to get the Heat 19 points. While Butler will be out for several weeks as his recovers, several other Heat players will not play in Friday’s game due to ..read more