Miami Heat strike first against Celtics in East finals behind Butler’s masterclass

• Heat rally to beat Celtics 123-116 in East finals opener
• Butler pours in 35 points, including 23 after half-time

Jimmy Butler scored 35 points, including 20 after halftime, and the Miami Heat rallied in the second half to beat the Boston Celtics 123-116 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.

Miami trailed by nine at the half before turning it around with a franchise playoff-record 46 points in the third and outscoring Boston 66-50 over the final two quarters. It was Butler's fifth game with 30 or more points this postseason and he added seven assists, six steals and five rebounds.