With Jayson Tatum’s 31 points, the Boston Celtics thrashed the Miami Heat 102-82 to tie their NBA Eastern Conference finals series 2-2 on Monday. The Heat were routed in the first quarter, misfiring on their first 14 shots while Bam Adebayo’s one point from a free throw barely avoided the embarrassment. The away team got the first field goal at 3:22, a 3-pointer by Victor Oladipo. The Celtics led 29-11 in the first quarter. With Miami’s offense unable to penetrate a defense bolstered by the return of Robert Williams, the Celtics kept the pressure on in the second quarter, extending the lead to 27 points. Jimmy Butler contributed just six points, and the Heat’s starters totaled 10 points in the first half.
