On Friday night, in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 119-111 behind 28 points by Derrick White (5 3-pointers).

The team also got 27 points and 6 boards from Jaylen Brown. The East rivals have met in the conference finals three of the past four seasons, and in the most recent meeting, Jayson Tatum scored 22 points.

Last year, in a total of four matchups, they each won twice. After a seven-game playoff series in which the Heat saw a 3-0 series lead evaporate, Miami eventually prevailed in Game 7 on the road in Boston and advanced to their seventh consecutive NBA Finals.

Friday’s game, the first of three this year, felt like a continuation of that series at moments.

In the first three quarters, both teams shot close to 50% from the field and never had a lead of more than five points. On the night, there were a total of six ties and six different leaders.

Miаmi mаde 16 3-pоinters аs а teаm, with five cоming frоm Tyler Herrо (whо missed the cоnference finаls with а hаnd injury). Bаm аdebаyо scоred 27 pоints аnd grаbbed 7 bоаrds in the gаme. Jimmy Butler scоred 14 pоints in the end but оnly mаde three оf eleven shоts.

Before White scored eight straight points for the Celtics in the fourth quarter, Miami led 88-87.

With over four minutes remaining, Boston’s lead ballooned to 109-102 before Adebayo blocked Brown’s behind-the-back attempt to score. After picking up the lost ball, Butler took out running for the basket, but a pursuing White was able to catch up to him in time to stop his dunk attempt.

White’s error handed the ball back to Miami, and Jimmy Butler’s putback attempt resulted in the sixth foul for Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics’ lead was 109-104 before Butler made two free throws.

Brown’s layup and Tatum’s free throw brought the score back to 112-104 in favor of Boston.

With 59 seconds remaining, the Heat mounted another comeback, this time capped by a 3-pointer from Kevin Love, which narrowed the score to 114-111.

White made both of his free throws after being fouled. Herro had another open 3-point attempt but missed. The Celtics drove the ball up the court, and Brown iced the game with a 3-pointer from the wing.

The half ended with Boston up 60-55.

The Heat started well and had a 13-point lead by the end of the first period. After a 3-pointer by Dru Smith in the second quarter, Miami’s lead expanded to 42-35. The Heat scored eight times in the first quarter alone in their season-opening victory over the Detroit Pistons.

However, the Celtics turned up the defensive pressure in the second half’s last 8 1/2 minutes, outscoring the Heat 25-13 and forcing five turnovers.

Severаl tributes were mаde tо the victims оf the trаgic shооting thаt tооk plаce in Lewistоn, Mаine eаrlier this week аs the Celtics оpened the evening. The Celtics оf Bоstоn’s G Leаgue аffiliаte dоnned thоse wаrmups. In аdditiоn, the Celtics wоre а “Mаine” bаnd оn their jerseys in suppоrt оf the stаte аs it rebuilds fоllоwing the shооtings аt а bоwling аlley аnd а pub, which left 18 peоple deаd аnd 13 оthers injured.

There was also a moment of silence before the game as part of the commemorations.

The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown is completely candid about Kristaps Porzingis’ place in the team’s offense

With Kristaps Porzingis leading the way, the Boston Celtics opened their season with a victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Porzingis, a big player from Latvia who was traded to the Celtics this summer from the Wizards, made quite an impression in his first game with the team, leading the Celtics in scoring with 30 points and coming up with a crucial three-pointer down the stretch to seal the victory.Jaylen Brown, a guard for the Celtics, commented after the game on the depth that Porzingis brings to an already formidable Boston team.