Photo: espn.com

Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, Marcus Smart (12 assists along with nine rebounds) and Jaylen Brown each posted 24 and the Boston Celtics dominated the first half to roll past the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat 127-102 on Thursday night in the Eastern Conference finals. The series is tied at 1-1. Game 3 is set for Saturday in Boston.

After a blowout victory over the Miami Heat in Game 2, the Boston Celtics star guard Marcus Smart, who missed the series opener due to a mid-foot sprain, shared his thoughts about his on-court rival Jimmy Butler (29 points in 32 minutes): “He’s tough. Jimmy’s a warrior … I love going up against Jimmy anytime I can.”