The Boston Celtics began their NBA play-off marketing campaign with a 114-94 win over the Miami Warmth.
Jayson Tatum’s triple-double helped the highest seeds to guide all through towards final season’s dropping finalists.
The Warmth entered the play-offs because the quantity eight seeds after beating the Chicago Bulls in a play-in eliminator.
However with out injured star participant Jimmy Butler, the Warmth discovered the Celtics too sturdy within the opener to the best-of-seven collection.
Tatum scored 23 factors, had 10 rebounds and supplied 10 assists – and was one among six gamers to attain double figures for Boston, however warned his facet they “cannot chill out” towards the staff which eradicated them from the play-offs final 12 months.
“They don’t seem to be going to surrender, they are not going to put down,” he mentioned.
There are 16 groups within the first spherical of the play-offs, taking part in best-of-seven collection in a knockout format. The eight winners undergo to the subsequent spherical.
James Harden scored 28 factors for the Los Angeles Clippers as they beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-97 within the first recreation of their collection.
The house facet led 56-30 at half-time and regardless of a combat again led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, with 33 and 31 factors respectively, the Mavericks have been left with an excessive amount of to do.
The Indiana Pacers go to the Milwaukee Bucks later, whereas the New Orleans Pelicans journey to face the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.