May 17, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) moves the ball up court against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the second half of game one of the 2022 eastern conference finals at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat took down the Boston Celtics 118-107 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night in Miami.

And Heat star Jimmy Butler took things to another level to lead Miami to the Game 1 victory.

Butler — who averaged 21.4 points in the regular season — scored 41 points. He went 12-of-19 from the field, and he really cashed in at the charity stripe, making 17-of-18 free throws. Additionally, he pulled down nine rebounds, dished out five assists, swiped four steals, and blocked three shots, to go with having a game-high plus/minus of +25.

It was an all-around superb effort by the six-time All-Star.

Boston actually had a 62-54 lead at halftime, but Miami went on a 22-2 run to start the second half and outscored the Celtics 39-14 in the third quarter. After an eight-point halftime deficit, the Heat led by as many as 20 in the second half.

Now, Boston was without guard Marcus Smart (mid-foot sprain) and big man Al Horford, and the absence of those two key players certainly didn’t help things for the Celtics.

Still, the Celtics have to be kicking themselves after a blown opportunity to steal one in Miami. Boston outscored Miami in the first, second, and fourth quarters, only to lose because of a brutal third-quarter performance.

Here’s how the basketball world is reacting to Game 1:

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

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