![Tatum leads Celtics over Heat, Clippers thrash Mavs in NBA playoff openers](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/images/UrduPoint-English-22.png)
Tatum Leads Celtics Over Heat, Clippers Thrash Mavs In NBA Playoff Openers
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published April 22, 2024 | 08:50 AM
![Tatum leads Celtics over Heat, Clippers thrash Mavs in NBA playoff openers](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/images/UrduPoint-English-22.png)
Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Apr, 2024) Jayson Tatum posted his first playoff triple-double to propel Boston to an NBA playoff series opening victory over Miami on Sunday as the Los Angeles Clippers thrashed the Dallas Mavericks.
Eastern Conference top seeds Boston raced out to a 14-0 start, setting the tone for a 114-94 wire-to-wire victory that was never in doubt despite Miami making the score more respectable in the fourth quarter.
In Los Angeles, the Clippers also led from start to finish, shrugging off the injury absence of Kawhi Leonard in a 109-97 victory over the Mavs -- who put up just eight points in a shocking second quarter performance.
Other series-opening games on Sunday saw the Indiana Pacers at the Milwaukee Bucks while the Western Conference top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the New Orleans Pelicans.
With Leonard sidelined with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, James Harden scored 28 points and handed out eight assists for the Clippers, drilling six of their 18 three-pointers.
Paul George added 22 points and Ivica Zubac scored 20 points with 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, who seized control early as Dallas, and NBA regular-season scoring leader Luka Doncic struggled.
The Mavs connected on just two of 21 attempts in the second quarter, putting up 30 in the first half to trail by 26 at the break.
Eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving made all eight of his attempts on the way to 20 points in the third quarter as the Mavericks buckled down.
Doncic would finish with 33 points and 13 rebounds and Irving scored 31, but they had dug too deep of a hole to escape and trail by one in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.
In Boston the Celtics used a barrage of three-pointers to grab a 60-45 halftime lead and extended that advantage to 91-74 by the end of the third quarter.
The Heat, without injured star Jimmy Butler, had reached the best-of-seven first-round series as the eighth seed after beating the Chicago Bulls in a play-in eliminator on Friday.
Miami took the same route into the playoffs last season, going on to upset the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals before they were beaten by the Denver Nuggets in the championship series.
The chances of such a run this time look remote with Butler battling a knee ligament injury. In his absence, Bam Adebayo led Miami with 24 points and six rebounds.
Tatum scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and provided 10 assists.
The five-time All-Star was one of six Boston players to score in double figures, Derrick White adding 20.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
![Cricket: England v West Indies 3rd Test scoreboard](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019914.jpg)
Cricket: England v West Indies 3rd Test scoreboard
![Finance minister briefs Chinese officials on refor ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019922.jpg)
Finance minister briefs Chinese officials on reform agenda, engagement with IMF
![Finland says Russian vessel violated its territori ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019912.jpg)
Finland says Russian vessel violated its territorial waters
![Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019266.jpg)
Olympic opening ceremony under way on River Seine
![West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019264.jpg)
West Indies' treble strike rocks England in third Test
![Ukraine court orders detention of suspect in murde ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019262.jpg)
Ukraine court orders detention of suspect in murder of nationalist ex-MP
![Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris ope ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019015.jpg)
Long queues, ticketing problems ahead of Paris opening ceremony
![Rana Sanaullah Khan joins Paris 2024 Olympics inau ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019638.jpg)
Rana Sanaullah Khan joins Paris 2024 Olympics inauguration reception
![Glowing tributes mark 69th birthday of President Z ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019637.jpg)
Glowing tributes mark 69th birthday of President Zardari at Governor's House
![Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympi ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019635.jpg)
Players unaware of spying scandal as Canada Olympic coach sent home: official
![Naqvi hails Pak women cricketers for going down fi ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019013.jpg)
Naqvi hails Pak women cricketers for going down fighting against SL
!['Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: ..](https://photo-cdn.urdupoint.com/media/2024/07/_1/235x155/pic_1722019634.jpg)
'Sabotage' on French rail network before Olympics: What we know
More Stories From World
-
Biden talks Gaza ceasefire efforts with king of Jordan
4 hours ago -
Sinaloa Cartel co-founder pleads not guilty after stunning US capture
4 hours ago -
Panama says Venezuela blocked ex-presidents going to observe polls
4 hours ago -
Ethiopia mourns victims of landslide tragedy
4 hours ago -
Khan Yunis fighting displaces 180,000 Gazans in four days: UN
4 hours ago -
Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida
5 hours ago
-
Obama & his wife, Michelle, officially endorse US VP Kamala Harris for president
5 hours ago -
Rain, cooling slow huge blaze in Canada's Jasper park
5 hours ago -
Airbus and Boeing supremacy secure despite turbulence
5 hours ago -
S.African police detain 95 Libyans at suspected military camp
5 hours ago -
'Slapping therapist' guilty over UK diabetic woman's death
6 hours ago -
Panama says Venezuela blocked flight of ex-presidents going to observe polls
6 hours ago