MIAMI (AP) — The Boston Celtics had a first quarter like none other in their storied history.
The Celtics scored 53 points — their biggest-scoring first quarter ever — in the opening 12 minutes of their game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Boston's barrage is now tied for the second-highest-scoring first quarter in NBA regular-season history. Golden State had a 55-point opening quarter at Portland on April 9, 2023, and Miami had a 53-point
opening quarter against Charlotte on Nov. 7.
“Getting to the paint, getting to the basket and finishing. I think that was the catalyst,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said.
The Celtics went on to win 147-129, after seeing what was a 27-point lead trimmed to nine early in the fourth before pulling away again in the final minutes.
“I thought we executed pretty well,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “There's times when you execute well and you get good shot after good shot. It just kind of happens. Usually when you’re in moments like that and you start to feel it, you take poor shots. We didn’t do that. We kept fighting for a good look, the next best look and I thought that kind of kept the momentum going a little bit.”
Boston led 53-33 at the end of the quarter, after shooting 20 for 28 from the field and 11 for 15 from 3-point range.
The 53 first-quarter points was the second-highest total Boston ever had in a quarter; the Celtics had 54 in the fourth period of a game against the San Diego Clippers on Feb. 25, 1970. And it was the most points Miami ever allowed in any quarter; the Heat gave up 50 in the fourth quarter of a game at Seattle on Jan. 5, 1990.
Boston made 11 3-pointers in the opening quarter, with Sam Hauser going 5 for 5 from beyond the arc while playing all 12 minutes. Brown had 20 points by himself in the quarter — the ninth 20-point quarter of his career, including playoffs — and Hauser finished with 17 in the quarter.
“Sam has been really shooting the ball really well all season. ... Sam has been in his bag,” Brown said.
Brown ended up with 43 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum had a 28-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist triple-double — his first of the season, after missing much of the year while recovering from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in last season's playoffs.
“It was just high-level shotmaking on both ends,” Tatum said.
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