Sept. 15 (UPI) -- All-Star big man Bam Adebayo stuffed Jayson Tatum at the rim with seconds left in overtime to help the Miami Heat top the Boston Celtics 117-114 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night.
Jimmy Butler's 3-point play put the Heat up for good with 12 seconds left. Adebayo protected that lead with a remarkable block on Tatum, denying the forward's dunk attempt in the closing seconds to halt the Celtics' seven-game winning streak in Game 1s.
The Heat mounted multiple comebacks to secure the victory in the opening game of the conference finals. Miami trailed the Celtics by 13 in the first quarter and were down by as much as 14 in the fourth.
Goran Dragic led the Heat with 29 points and recorded seven rebounds and four assists. Butler, who also had a key 3-pointer before the end of regulation, notched 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
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Jae Crowder finished with 22 points and five rebounds, while Adebayo had 18 points, six boards, nine assists and two blocks for Miami. Tyler Herro tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in 40 minutes off the bench.
Tatum had 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks for the Celtics. Marcus Smart recorded 26 points, while Kemba Walker contributed 19 points and six assists. Jaylen Brown added 17 points, and Brad Wanamaker scored 11.
Game 2 is set for Thursday inside the NBA bubble near Orlando, Fla.
