NBA: Herro Scores 24 And the Heat Beat Boston to Even Series 1-1
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, right, battles for the ball against Boston Celtics center Al Horford and guard Jaylen Brown during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa).
BOSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting six of Miami Heat’s franchise playoff-record 23 3-pointers, to lead the Heat to a 111-101 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night and tie their NBA 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 Miami Heat, who shot 53.5% (23 of 43) from beyond the arc to bounce back after a Game 1 blowout. That broke Miami’s playoff record of 20 3-pointers, set against the Bucks in the 2021 first round.
Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for top-seeded Boston. Jayson Tatum scored 28, showing no ill effects of Martin’s hard foul that sent him crashing to the floor with under a minute to play in Boston’s 114-94 victory on Sunday.
The series moves to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday.
THUNDER 124, PELICANS 92
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds and Jalen Williams added 21 points for the top-seeded Thunder, who shot 59% from the field and made 14 of 29 3-pointers.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points and Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram added 18 each for the Pelicans.
New Orleans continued to struggle on offence without top scorer Zion Williamson, who remained out with a strained left hamstring.