NBA Playoffs: Adebayo Inspires Miami Heat Victory Over Celtics, Nuggets Stun Clippers

16th September 2020 - by AFP

Miami are seeking to get back to the NBA finals for the first time since a four-year run of consecutive appearances during the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh era ended in 2014

Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat react after their win over Boston Celtics during overtime in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at The Field House at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 15, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. PHOTO | AFP

SUMMARY

Bam Adebayo made a clutch block with 2.5 seconds left in overtime as the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 117-114 in the opening game of their Eastern Conference final on Tuesday.
Adebayo leaped high to take what appeared to be an easy dunk away from Celtics star Jayson Tatum to preserve the Heat's slim lead, 116-114. Adebayo then capped the scoring by sinking a free throw at the other end
Jamal Murray scored a game high 40 points and Nikola Jokic had a triple double as the Denver Nuggets stunned the Los Angeles Clippers 104-89 in game seven to reach their first Western Conference finals in 11 years

LOS ANGELES, United States- Bam Adebayo made a clutch block with 2.5 seconds left in overtime as the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 117-114 in the opening game of their Eastern Conference final on Tuesday.

Adebayo leaped high to take what appeared to be an easy dunk away from Celtics star Jayson Tatum to preserve the Heat's slim lead, 116-114. Adebayo then capped the scoring by sinking a free throw at the other end.

Tatum, who finished with a game high 30 points, missed a desperation 29-foot three pointer at the buzzer in the NBA's quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.

Game two is Thursday night in Orlando.

Goran Dragic scored 29 points, Jae Crowder had 22 and Jimmy Butler finished with 20 for the Heat, who eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs in 2011 and 2012.

Miami are seeking to get back to the NBA finals for the first time since a four-year run of consecutive appearances during the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh era ended in 2014.

Tatum also had 14 rebounds and five assists, Marcus Smart tallied 26 points and Jaylen Brown delivered 17 for the Celtics who are in the league semi-finals for the third time in four years.

Jamal Murray scored a game high 40 points and Nikola Jokic had a triple double as the Denver Nuggets stunned the Los Angeles Clippers 104-89 in game seven to reach their first Western Conference finals in 11 years.

The underdog Nuggets became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit twice in the same postseason.

Jokic completed his triple double by the third quarter of Tuesday night's contest in the NBA's quarantine bubble in Florida, finishing with 16 points, 13 assists and 22 rebounds.

His rebound count is the most by a Nuggets player in an NBA playoff game, breaking his old record of 19. Denver's dynamic duo combined for 56 points.