Al Horford is in the league's health and safety protocols and Marcus Smart has a midfoot sprain, as Boston will be minus two starters for Game 1 -- and ...
"The swelling is there, the soreness is there, but we hope he has good treatment and we'll see how it goes. It means the Celtics will require more from Robert Williams III, who missed Games 5 and 6 against Milwaukee because of a bone bruise in his left knee -- the same one he had surgery on late in the regular season, forcing him to miss three-plus weeks. But he has a long day -- an extra hour or two, and we'll see how he feels. This marks the third time Horford has been placed in the league's health and safety protocols. Wait to see results and tests and future tests." "As always, we don't comment on the status of our guys," Udoka said.
See odds, expert picks and analysis for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.
Boston also lost in this round to LeBron James’ Cavaliers in 2017 and ’18. Counting a 2012 loss to James’ Heat, the Celtics have lost four straight conference finals since making the 2010 NBA Finals. Spoelstra in 2002 was an advance scout with the Heat, watching those playoffs from afar after Miami struggled to a losing record and head coach Pat Riley missed the playoffs for the first time. But defense, especially in the playoffs, still rules. After two Game 7s finished up the second round, the NBA conference finals are set. During the NBA playoffs, The Athletic’s writers will make their straight-up picks. That year, the Heat beat the Celtics in six games in the conference final.
SportsLine's Mike Barner has revealed his 2022 NBA playoff picks for Game 1 of Celtics vs. Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
- Celtics vs. So who wins Celtics vs. He's only sharing what it is, and which side of the Celtics vs. The Heat got past the Celtics in the 2020 Eastern Conference finals, marking Boston's fourth consecutive loss in the conference finals. For Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Barner is leaning under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side a must-back. Boston needed seven games to get past Milwaukee, so it only had one day to prepare for Game 1 of this series. The Celtics are assisting on more than 65 percent of field goals in the playoffs, and Boston is led by a dynamic creator in Jayson Tatum, who is averaging 28.3 points per game in the postseason. Now, Barner has set his sights on Celtics vs. In the postseason, that dominance has continued, with opponents scoring only 105.2 points per 100 possessions against Boston. The Celtics are limiting the opposition to 44.3 percent shooting overall and 32.9 percent from 3-point range. The Celtics lead the NBA in defensive rating this season, allowing only 106.2 points per 100 possessions. The Boston Celtics knocked off defending champion Milwaukee in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Heat odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with the over-under set at 204.
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have announced their starting lineups for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
- SHOULD THE BUCKS MAKE A TRADE? On Sunday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 7 to the Boston Celtics, which officially ends their 2021-22 NBA season in the second-round. Meanwhile, the Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers in the first two rounds. The Celtics are the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and they beat the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first two rounds.
Here's an in-depth look at the matchup between Heat and Celtics in the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs.
In the three games during the regular season, the Celtics shot 40.0 percent from behind the arc averaging 40 attempts per game. The Celtics were 2-1 against the Heat during the regular season, averaging 105.0 points per game. Similar to the Heat, the Celtics pride themselves on defense as well, holding the Bucks under 100 points three times in the series. The Celtics won their second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. The Heat just won their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Miami quickly adjusted and won the following two games to close the series out.
Boston was already bracing for Smart to be out, after he injured his foot on Sunday, but losing Horford was a surprise blow to the Celtics.
“We’ve unfortunately had quite a bit of practice with this early in the season due to injury and COVID situations,” Udoka said. Smart played in six of the seven games against Milwaukee. He missed Game 2 because of a quad injury. Miami is still missing one starter: The Heat had already ruled point guard Kyle Lowry out for Game 1 because of a hamstring injury. This has become kind of the normal prep: Expect the unexpected. “As always, we don’t comment on the status of our guys,” Udoka said. Horford averaged 13.0 points and a team-best 10.4 rebounds in the Celtics’ seven-game win over Milwaukee, starting all those contests.
The CelticsBlog crew picks their winners in the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Tatum is far better than he was two years ago when the Heat defeated the Celtics in the bubble playoffs. The Celtics have the defenders to slow down Jimmy Butler and they are better equipped to put a body on Bam. Ultimately I trust the Celtics offense to get buckets more than the Heat. Bobby Manning: Allow me to zag and give the Heat the respect I didn’t in 2020. They just took down the defending champions – a team I believe is better than the Heat – and in a few weeks, Boston will make its first finals appearance in 12 years. That will be the difference in a hard-fought series. Surviving Milwaukee and winning 2 straight - convincingly - with their backs against the wall should provide this team a massive momentum boost against the Heat. I know it’s a quick turnaround from the last series to this one, but I don’t think it will hurt the Celtics, considering how strong they looked in games 6&7 against Milwaukee. And if that were to happen, and the Celtics go 3-0 at TD Garden, Boston in six is the result. They’re the number-one seed in the conference for a reason; they remained that way throughout the season for a reason. The quick turnaround somewhat concerns me, but Boston has been the best team in the league since late January, and I don’t see this Heat team slowing them down. The Celtics are playing more connected than a Celtics team has in almost 15 years. They want some revenge in the rematch, and they have an excellent chance to get it. I don’t think the Celtics lose a game in Boston. They’re going to have to win a game on the road, and if I had to guess, that’ll be in Game 1 or 2.
The Sporting News is tracking live updates and highlights from Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Follow along right here.
8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. The game will tip-off shortly after 8:30 p.m. ET and be played at the FTX Arena in Miami. 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Additionally, the Celtics will be missing Al Horford, who has entered the league's health and safety protocols. - Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
The second-seeded Celtics have dropped four straight Eastern Conference finals, including three in a four-season stretch from 2017-20. While Miami has ...
"If both teams are really on top of their games, this should be a series where neither team is scoring 130 points. Both teams play hard, but both teams defensively are tops in the league, or one of the best for sure. "He's one of the best in the game right now," Butler said of Tatum. "As much attention as he draws on the offensive end -- and then I think what's really impressive is the way that he's picked up his defensive intensity. The Heat will be without point guard Kyle Lowry (left hamstring) for the seventh time in the past nine games. "He took a pretty bad fall, got bent up," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. "It's the playoffs, and I feel like the deeper that you go, it's more intense, it's physical," veteran big man Al Horford said on Monday. "Even though the first round was very physical for us, it's not going to be any different. "This is like a throwback series," Spoelstra said. You got to tip your hat to that and respect him. Butler, a six-time All-Star, has topped 30 points five times in 10 starts this postseason. "Our guys love competition and love being challenged," Spoelstra said on Monday. "They love taking on big challenges. "Obviously, I was tired after every game and things like that, but my body has matured since my third season. They do it on both ends."
The Miami Heat pulled out a 118-107 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night.
It isn't entirely surprising to see Vincent make an impact for the Heat, given he showed some flashes of this in the second round against the 76ers, but I imagine not many predicted that he would be the second-leading scorer among the starters for the Heat tonight. His third-quarter performance was one of the reasons the Heat managed to work up such a big lead, as he put up 10 points while playing all 12 minutes in the third quarter. One of the major storylines for the Heat heading into Game 1 was how this team would handle playing against a defense like the Celtics without their starting point guard in Kyle Lowry, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Boston needed that production in the third quarter when Tatum was getting swarmed and no one else could generate points. But the blame can't be entirely placed on Tatum's shoulders for that third-quarter performance. It resulted in just five points from the superstar forward, who struggled to find his shot again after a hot start to the game. Things really fell apart for the Celtics in the third quarter, as they got outscored 39-14 out of halftime after leading by eight points after 24 minutes. Butler's right, Pritchard, and everyone else Boston tried to stick on him couldn't contain him and it resulted in an explosive performance from the Heat forward, who now has scored 40 or more points three times in these playoffs. Miami turned up the pressure on defense in the second half, and made life difficult for Jayson Tatum and Boston. Tatum finished the game with 29 points (21 in the first half), while Jaylen Brown added 24 points. The Miami Heat pulled out a 118-107 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night. Butler also finished with three blocks, the last one of which felt like a statement, as he stuffed Tatum on a corner 3-point attempt in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. But it wasn't just Butler's scoring that made a difference for the Heat, he was getting it done with his playmaking, rebounding and perhaps most importantly his defense.
The Boston Celtics will meet the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night from the FTX Arena.
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The Celtics were outscored by 25 points in a nightmare third quarter, and that proved to be the difference in their Game 1 loss to the Heat.
Robert Williams was back in the Celtics' starting lineup for the first time since Game 3 vs. Those are the guys the Celtics need to come through in those situations. Boston was 24-for-32 (75 percent) from the charity stripe in Game 1. Brown was the primary culprit, going 6-for-10 from the line. The Sixth Man of the Year had 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes off the bench. Especially if Butler is going to be this much of a problem from the free-throw line going forward. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists against the Celtics in the 2020 playoffs. That's the most points the Celtics have given up in a quarter this postseason and the fewest they've scored. The Celtics were 0-for-7 to begin the third quarter and didn't make a shot until seven minutes into the frame. Of his 41 points, 27 came in the second half. He was 12-for-19 from the floor and was a force on the defensive end with four steals and three blocks. The Celtics got off to a hot start and took an eight-point lead into the half.
BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Heat won the last matchup 118-107 on May ...
The Heat have gone 35-17 against Eastern Conference teams. The Heat won the last matchup 118-107 on May 18 led by 41 points from Jimmy Butler, while Jayson Tatum scored 29 points for the Celtics. Miami is eighth in the Eastern Conference scoring 110.0 points while shooting 46.7% from the field. BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals with a 1-0 lead in the series. Miami Heat (53-29, first in the Eastern Conference) Boston Celtics (51-31, second in the Eastern Conference) vs.
Jimmy Butler put up 41 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the win, while Tyler Herro added 18 points off the bench for the Heat. Miami turned up the ...
It isn't entirely surprising to see Vincent make an impact for the Heat, given he showed some flashes of this in the second round against the 76ers, but I imagine not many predicted that he would be the second-leading scorer among the starters for the Heat tonight. His third-quarter performance was one of the reasons the Heat managed to work up such a big lead, as he put up 10 points while playing all 12 minutes in the third quarter. One of the major storylines for the Heat heading into Game 1 was how this team would handle playing against a defense like the Celtics without their starting point guard in Kyle Lowry, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Boston needed that production in the third quarter when Tatum was getting swarmed and no one else could generate points. But the blame can't be entirely placed on Tatum's shoulders for that third-quarter performance. It resulted in just five points from the superstar forward, who struggled to find his shot again after a hot start to the game. Things really fell apart for the Celtics in the third quarter, as they got outscored 39-14 out of halftime after leading by eight points after 24 minutes. Butler's right, Pritchard, and everyone else Boston tried to stick on him couldn't contain him and it resulted in an explosive performance from the Heat forward, who now has scored 40 or more points three times in these playoffs. Miami turned up the pressure on defense in the second half, and made life difficult for Jayson Tatum and Boston. Tatum finished the game with 29 points (21 in the first half), while Jaylen Brown added 24 points. The Miami Heat pulled out a 118-107 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night. Butler also finished with three blocks, the last one of which felt like a statement, as he stuffed Tatum on a corner 3-point attempt in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. But it wasn't just Butler's scoring that made a difference for the Heat, he was getting it done with his playmaking, rebounding and perhaps most importantly his defense.
Jimmy Butler's scoring barrage, Boston's shorthanded crew comes up short and more takeaways from the opener in the 2022 Eastern Conference finals.
And at times, the Heat are going to need Butler and Herro to just manufacture offense out of nothing. The Celtics scored 31 points on their first 18 possessions of the fourth quarter. But those 30 minutes included all 12 of the fourth quarter, when the Heat made Pritchard the target of their offense. But he’s shooting better from the field and it seems he’s just getting started with the foul drawing. Miami has now won the third quarter in 11 of their 12 games, and in the other (Game 5 vs. I think that’s the style of basketball I like to play. You see a guy do a crazy block like that and you know the energy gets into the crowd. But the most resounding sequence was a stretch of four straight stops, authored by Butler and Bam Adebayo. Butler isn’t like those other guys, but he sure knows how to draw (and emphasize) a foul. In fact, their 25-point differential in the third is tied for the best differential for any team in any quarter in these playoffs. MIAMI — Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was a game of runs. Jimmy Butler led the way with 41 points and is now averaging 33.8 points on 56% shooting over his last five games.
Miami turned things around with a huge third quarter to defeat a short-handed Boston squad.
Smart’s absence was somewhat expected because of a mid-foot sprain he suffered in Game 7 of the East semifinals against Milwaukee on Sunday. A 22-2 run was how Miami started the second half, the run punctuated by steals that led to baskets on three consecutive possessions. Tyler Herro scored 18 and Gabe Vincent added 17 for the Heat, who outscored Boston 39-14 in the third quarter.
The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics and No. 1 seed Miami Heat face off on Thursday at FTX Arena in Miami in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series.
Therefore, I'll take the Heat in Game 2 at -4." Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Both teams are averaging 96.7 possessions during the postseason, which would rank last in the league during the regular season. The Celtics don’t play a ton of guys as it is, and they’ve been playing every other day now for weeks, logging big minutes, and that’s going to take its toll. The Miami Heat are deep and a feisty defensive team that only makes things that much worse for Boston. Not to mention, Jimmy Butler is playing out of his mind right now and seems to be a man on a mission. Take the under. Jason Radowitz writes: "This series likely comes down to the final three games. The Heat have yet to lose at home these playoffs, and they’re winning those games by an average of 14.7 points. More: Boston Celtics vs. More: Boston Celtics vs. The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics and No. 1 seed Miami Heat face off on Thursday at FTX Arena in Miami in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series.
Get a recap of the Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat basketball game.
The previous low for field goals made in the opening 6:00 of a half by the Celtics this season, including playoffs, was one in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 7. ... Boston scored 18 points of the first 6 ½ minutes of the first half, then two points in the first 6 ½ minutes of the second half. Boston was outscored by 28 points in the fourth quarter by Chicago on Nov. 1. Miami outscored Charlotte by 27 in the third quarter on Feb. 5. ... Butler’s 15th point — a free throw 16 seconds into the second half — gave him 14,000 for his career, including playoffs. Smart’s absence was somewhat expected because of a mid-foot sprain he suffered in Game 7 of the East semifinals against Milwaukee on Sunday. A 22-2 run was how Miami started the second half, the run punctuated by steals that led to baskets on three consecutive possessions. Strus had one, the next two by Butler pushed the lead out to 76-64, and the Heat were off and running. Tyler Herro scored 18 and Gabe Vincent added 17 for the Heat, who outscored Boston 39-14 in the third quarter. ... The Celtics trailed for only 16 seconds in the first two quarters. That's a totally different thing and he does that as well as anybody in this league." “There's a lot of guys in this league that are playing basketball.
The Celtics have responded well to losses during the 2022 NBA playoffs. Will that streak continue Thursday night in Game 2 against the Heat.
- The Celtics' defeat in Game 5 was excruciating. Boston trailed by seven entering the fourth quarter in Game 4 and then dominated the final 12 minutes, outscoring Milwaukee 43-25 over that span. Game 5 vs. Game 4 vs. Jaylen Brownscored 25 of his game-high 30 pointsin the first half. Game 2 vs.
Boston Celtics vs. Miami HEAT Thursday, May 19 @ 8:30 PM.
And as usual – after Boston made a run with Butler off the court – he was there to bring it home down the stretch as he hunted the Payton Pritchard matchup relentlessly, holding the Celtics off with free-throws and jumpers. It wasn’t just that Butler made his shots, which he did (12-of-19), or that he got to the free-throw line (17-of-18), which he did. - It marks the third time Miami will face Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals (2012, 2020, 2022), with the HEAT winning the previous two meetings.
The Boston Celtics will once again be in Florida to take on the Miami Heat for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night.
- SHOULD THE BUCKS MAKE A TRADE? On Sunday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 7 to the Boston Celtics, which officially ends their 2021-22 NBA season in the second-round. The Heat are the first seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics are the second seed, so the Heat have the home-court advantage. The Celtics have listed Marcus Smart as probable (he missed last game due to a foot injury), and Al Horford as doubtful (he missed last game due to health and safety protocols).
Get a recap of the Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat basketball game.
The previous low for field goals made in the opening 6:00 of a half by the Celtics this season, including playoffs, was one in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 7. ... Boston scored 18 points of the first 6 ½ minutes of the first half, then two points in the first 6 ½ minutes of the second half. Boston was outscored by 28 points in the fourth quarter by Chicago on Nov. 1. Miami outscored Charlotte by 27 in the third quarter on Feb. 5. ... Butler’s 15th point — a free throw 16 seconds into the second half — gave him 14,000 for his career, including playoffs. Smart’s absence was somewhat expected because of a mid-foot sprain he suffered in Game 7 of the East semifinals against Milwaukee on Sunday. A 22-2 run was how Miami started the second half, the run punctuated by steals that led to baskets on three consecutive possessions. Strus had one, the next two by Butler pushed the lead out to 76-64, and the Heat were off and running. Tyler Herro scored 18 and Gabe Vincent added 17 for the Heat, who outscored Boston 39-14 in the third quarter. ... The Celtics trailed for only 16 seconds in the first two quarters. That's a totally different thing and he does that as well as anybody in this league." “There's a lot of guys in this league that are playing basketball.
The expected return of Marcus Smart should help the Celtics bounce back from their worst defensive performance of the playoffs.
And it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Heat’s performance on Tuesday is the most efficient game we get from either team in this series. The Celtics had almost that many ( 32) in the first half of Game 1. And part of the issue was transition defense. “But we would like to try to [play] the way we’ve played all year, have segments of the game where we can get to that. That was the Celtics’ lowest switch rate of the playoffs. You just saw the previous two rounds and the kind of offensive talents that they were able to limit. According to Second Spectrum, they switched on only 22 (27%) of 81 Miami ball screens in Game 1. “You get to this time of year,” Spoelstra said, “and you can have all the greatest plans of shifting a defense, moving them and playing out of close-outs. But Pritchard also gave the Celtics some offense on Tuesday. Boston and Miami combined for 145 points on 121 possessions in those 30 minutes. And that was the difference as the Heat took a 1-0 series lead. Tyler Herro was also able to put points on the board with minimal ball movement. The Heat’s 118 points on 97 possessions (121.6 per 100) on Tuesday was Boston’s worst defensive performance of the playoffs.