The Celtics scored a record 53 points in the first quarter en route to an 18-point victory on Wednesday.
The Boston Celtics rolled over the Miami Heat 147-129 on Wednesday night in Miami, moving to 51-25 with six games left in the regular season.
Boston has already clinched a playoff spot and remains four games back of the Detroit Pistons for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They are 2.5 games ahead of the New York Knicks, meaning that the No. 2 seed is the most likely spot for the Celtics to finish in the playoff race.
Miami fell to 40-37, which is good enough for 10th place in the East, though they are just 0.5 games out of eighth. The Heat have only five games left.
Here's what you need to know from the C's latest victory:
Tatum's big night
Playing 37 minutes, Tatum put together the best stat line of his return from a torn Achilles. The All-Star had 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, putting together the first triple-double of his return. He was 9-of-21 from the floor and 4-of-13 from three-point range.
As noted by Taylor Snow, Tatum became the first player in Celtics history to record at least 18 rebounds with all of them being on the defensive end.
Can't forget about Brown
It's rare that someone delivers a triple-double and doesn't deliver the best line of the night, but that's what happened here. Brown had 43 points on an efficient 17-of-29 shooting. He had seven assists and was 4-of-10 from three-point range.
Supporting cast steps up
In addition to Brown and Tatum, four other members of the Celtics put together double-digit scoring nights. Sam Hauser had 23 points, hitting five three-pointers in the victory, while Neemias Queta had 16 points and 11 boards. Payton Pritchard had 14 points while Luka Garza added 12.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket against Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesOther news and notes
The Celtics were 21-of-44 from three-point range in the win, which is 48 percent. They also shot 70 percent at the foul line, but were just 14-of-20. Boston also out-rebounded Miami by 11 (48-37).
The Heat hit a whopping 24 three-pointers, but still lost. All five Heat starters scored in double-figures, with Bam Adebayo leading the way with 29. Jamie Jaquez Jr. also had a solid night, putting up 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Up next
The Celtics are back in action on Friday night when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks at 8 p.m. ET. The Bucks, one of the most disappointing teams in the league, have been eliminated from playoff contention at 30-46.
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