Miami and Boston meet in yet another postseason fray, this time a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals which took place in the bubble. While both teams have grown since their bubble days, the stakes are just as big with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
Based on the opponents each has faced to get to this point, some might be surprised the Celtics have made it this far. Yes, they are the No. 2 seed but tilts against the Kevin Durant-led Nets and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks have proven that this club is more than just a defensive analytical darling; they are out for blood in this year’s playoffs.
Heat-Celtics Series Odds
Celtics Revenge Tour Continues
After getting eliminated by the Nets in the opening round of the 2021 postseason, Boston found themselves in a rematch this year and took care of Brooklyn in dominant fashion, completing the lone sweep this postseason has seen. Following that short-lived series, the Celtics took on the Bucks in a 2019 conference semifinals rematch and took down the defending champs in a wild 7-Game series to advance against none other than the Miami Heat, a rematch of the 2020 Conference Finals… notice a common theme?
Things are trending in the right direction for this “Celtics Revenge Tour” and yes, Miami has made it to this stage by quite frankly no surprise. Jimmy Butler and co. took care of business against the No. 8 seeded Hawks and then took on a 76ers squad that had Joel Embiid in and out of the lineup. By no means am I discrediting Miami’s run, but it’s tough to argue against the fact that Boston is by far the toughest matchup the Heat have seen this postseason, and rightfully so…
Can Jimmy Butler Keep This Up?
All eyes are going to be on Butler to carry Miami to the NBA Finals, a task he has successfully taken on before.
Playoff Butler is REAL and best believe he is here to stay. The defense tasked with stopping him though happens to be one of the best in the league finishing with the second-best defensive rating of 106.9 during the regular season. Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart may see a fair share of isolation matchups against Butler as well as two-way guards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who will be tasked to stop Miami’s star player.
Battle in the Paint
As for Butler’s right-hand man, Bam Adebayo, Boston will have Robert Williams back with no minutes restriction alongside the likes of Al Horford and Grant Williams, giving the Celtics plenty of depth at the big man position. Adebayo has been as good as it gets on both sides of the floor but he isn’t the most consistent when it comes to rebounding which is where Boston’s cleanup crew could thrive and get boards on both ends of the floor. It’s worth noting that Horford and Grant Williams should see formidable minutes due to their ability to score on the offensive end of the floor after having some stellar performances against the Bucks last round.
Will Jayson Tatum Win The Star Matchup?
The heavyweight matchup that every basketball fan is going to have their eyes on though is Butler against Tatum, who is on pace to be the first Celtic ever to average 28/5/5 in a single postseason. We know how good Butler has been this postseason, but Tatum has been just as good, and pairing that up with his running mate in Brown, Miami could be in trouble.
Miami Scorers: Another One?
Something I’ve said time and time again is that the way the modern-day NBA is and the direction the league is continuing to head in is having two players average north of 20 PPG when it matters the most. Sure, Miami had that in the regular season with Butler and Tyler Herro at the helm, but in the postseason, Butler has been doing the heavy lifting as the Sixth Man of the Year in Herro has averaged a mere 13.8 PPG while shooting an abysmal 27.3% from beyond the arc. Perhaps the team will turn to Max Strus to continue his hot streak or give Victor Oladipo more valuable minutes, but ultimately, I trust Boston’s talent and depth in a game or two more than Miami.
Prediction
Once again this series has the potential to go to seven games, but with the Heat as the higher seed in this situation, a home Game 7 may just tip the series in favor of Miami which is why the Celtics need to wrap this series up in six games. I envision the series to be split 2-2 through the opening four games and for Boston to steal Game 5 in Miami to ultimately close things out at home in Game 6. The Tatum-Brown-led offense paired with a Celtics defense that won’t let up should be a recipe to find the hardwood of 2022 The Finals…
- SR Prediction: Celtics in 6
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