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The Boston Celtics flew down to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat Thursday night in the latest installment of one of the NBA’s fiercest rivalries. However, this one was a mismatch from start to finish, as the Cs cruised to their 35th win of the season with relative ease.
The threes weren’t going down early for Boston, so Jayson Tatum took matters into his own hands by attacking Haywood Highsmith, getting to the line twice in the first three minutes. He then went at Tyler Herro off a switch and got to the basket for a strong layup.
All the hustle plays were going Boston’s way in the opening minutes, including this tough offensive rebound and layup for Derrick White:
Everyone got a turn offensively in the first. Jaylen Brown hit a pair of 25-footers within the span of three minutes. Transition dunks, open triples and hunting mismatches created a 42-29 lead for the Celtics after 12 minutes.
Kristaps Porzingis was the biggest beneficiary of this mini-explosion, as he led all scorers with 14. The Unicorn continued to feast against smaller defenders in the midrange. He, Brown, Tatum and White all racked up at least 7 points. Boston’s 42 were the most points allowed by Miami in an opening quarter so far in the 2023-24 campaign.
Boston’s size advantage was glaring right from the tip, but especially so to open the second quarter. The lineup of Pritchard, Holiday, Tatum, Horford and Kornet gave Miami significant struggles at the rim on both ends of the floor. Holiday found his touch from long-range, hitting back-to-back open triples as a result of great ball movement.
Former friend Josh Richardson gave the Heat a spark, scoring six points off the bench. Miami’s subs kept them within striking distance, but the Heat were clearly working much harder than Boston to create good looks. For every hard-earned bucket on their end, the Celtics were getting easy shots on virtually every possession.
The Heat fought to gain some momentum back down the stretch in the second, but Boston still led 77-64 at the break. Every starter except Holiday was already in double figures at this point, with the team shooting 64.3% from the field and an even 50% from beyond the arc.
Tyler Herro was the only Heat player with double-digit points at halftime, but four guys off Miami’s bench had racked up at least five to keep them afloat.
The third-quarter woes that have plagued Boston consistently were nowhere to be found Thursday. It didn’t matter what type of defense Erik Spoelstra threw at the Celtics, they continued to generate open look after open look, converting them at a high rate.
Unfortunately, amidst a third-quarter blowout, the story of this game suddenly became the health of Kristaps Porzingis. The star big man rolled his ankle landing on Bam Adebayo’s foot after contesting his shot and had to be helped to the locker room. He was on his way to a big night, but was cut off at 19 points as a result of the injury.
Boston’s offense stalled a bit following Porzingis’ ankle sprain, and a few careless turnovers allowed the Heat to cut the lead to 16. The Celtics quickly regained their composure following a timeout and Brown showcased his playmaking on a pair of dimes to Luke Kornet, who went on his own personal 6-0 run in the waning minutes of the third. Boston led 113-90 with one quarter remaining.
Celtics fans breathed a collective sigh of relief to open the fourth, as Porzingis rejoined his teammates on the bench to watch the final 12 minutes.
The three-point barrage continued, as Horford and Pritchard hit back-to-back long-range shots. For Horford, his streak of consecutive games with at least one three extended to 17, as the 37-year-old continues to defy the odds.
In his second game with the Heat, old friend Terry Rozier still seemed to be searching for his role. The guard’s shooting slump appears to have carried over from his final stretch in Charlotte, as he finished with seven points on 3-10 shooting.
The Celtics’ lead grew to 30 with 6:30 left, which ended the night for Boston’s top six. Tatum led the way with 26 points in 32 minutes, with all of the starters racking up at least 15. Kornet was very impressive filling in for Porzingis following his injury, finishing the game with 12 points and five rebounds. When the final buzzer rang, Boston had won by a monstrous margin of 143-113.
Next up, the Celtics travel back to Boston to face the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Boston Marathon
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Brianna Poehler
City/State: Granby, Mass.
I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon with Miles for Miracles in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston Marathon is deeply personal to me and my family.
My daughter is a liver transplant survivor, and at just 11 months old, she received a life-saving liver transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital.
What could have been the most devastating chapter of our lives became a story of hope, resilience, and extraordinary care because of the BCH team.
When our daughter was so small and so sick, the doctors, nurses, and staff at Boston Children’s carried us through the unimaginable.
They combined world-class medical expertise with compassion that went far beyond treatment plans and hospital rooms. They cared for our daughter as if she were their own. They supported us as anxious, exhausted parents. They gave us answers when we had questions, and reassurance when we were overwhelmed.
Most importantly, they gave our daughter a second chance at life.
Today, she is thriving because of that gift. Every milestone she reaches is a reminder of the miracle she received and the team that made it possible. Running the Boston Marathon is my way of honoring that gift and saying thank you in the most meaningful way I can.
The marathon is a test of endurance, determination, and heart — qualities I saw in my daughter during her fight and in the Boston Children’s team every single day.
With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.
By running with Miles for Miracles, I hope to raise funds that will support groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments, and compassionate care for children like my daughter. This race is more than 26.2 miles — it is a celebration of survival, gratitude, and hope.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.
The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.
The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.
The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.
Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.
Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).
Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Today is a First Alert weather day. A system to our south is pushing mix of snow and rain into southern New England through this evening and tonight.
For us here in Greater Boston, expect snow to continue spreading over our area through the afternoon/evening commute. In fact, parts our area could see up to 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation before the sleet and rain move in.
Much of Greater Boston will likely see snow amounts on the lower end. Higher snow amounts are expected toward southern New Hampshire and along and north of outer Route 2. Also, some ice accumulations are possible, up to a tenth of an inch, creating a thin glaze here and there.
Dozens of schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts have already announced early dismissals as a result of the storm.
While this system won’t cripple our area, conditions could still create a mess on the roads during the evening commute through tonight. Be careful while driving. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for parts of our area through early Wednesday morning. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s today. Overnight lows will drop into the low 30s.
We’ll wake up to patchy fog Wednesday morning before the sun returns. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s. We’ll stay in the 40s on Thursday with increasing clouds. But by late Thursday night into Friday, wet weather returns. Some snow could mix with the rain into Friday morning. Highs will be in the upper 30s Friday.

Warmer weather is expected this weekend. Highs will be in the 50s Saturday and possibly near 60 on Sunday.
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