Celtics defeat Heat 127-102 to tie Eastern Conference finals

The Boston Celtics secured a comfortable 127-102 victory over the Miami Heat late Thursday to level the Eastern Conference finals at 1-1.

Marcus Smart played with 24 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds in his return from injury after missing Game 1, while Jayson Tatum was the highest scorer for the Celtics with 27 points.

Jaylen Brown also played an important role in the Celtics' easy victory as he scored 24 points. Grant Williams dropped 19 in Florida.

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 29 points in 32 minutes.

Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo bagged 14 points each, and Tyler Herro finished with 11 for the Heat.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will take place in Boston late Saturday.