Heat vs Celtics

The Boston Celtics will meet the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night from the FTX Arena.

Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. The Celtics will look to rebound after a 118-107 loss to Miami in the first game of the series. Boston Celtics vs.

SportsLine's Zack Cimini has revealed his 2022 NBA playoff picks for Game 2 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 are 8-4 against the spread in the NBA playoffs 2022 and they've only failed to cover once at home in the postseason. Now, Cimini has set his sights on Celtics vs. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from FTX Arena in Miami. Caesars Sportsbook lists Miami at -3.5 in the latest Heat vs.

Matt Moore, NBA analyst from The Action Network, shares his best bet for Game Two between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

NY, AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. NY, AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Must be 21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. 21+. New customers only. 21+. New customers only. New customers only.

The NBA Eastern Conference finals is tied at one game apiece after the Boston Celtics blitzed the Miami Heat, 127-102, in Game 2. The Celtics made 20 of ...

“We support our guys and always want them to be there and in those situations with their family,” coach Ime Udoka said. It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours for the Celtics’ injury report, as Al Horford went from suddenly out due to COVID health and safety protocols right before Game 1, to doubtful Wednesday afternoon, then questionable earlier Thursday, to available 90 minutes later. The Heat’s game notes say Game 2 is the team’s 500th consecutive sellout, counting regular and postseason games. The final result: A 112-87 loss. The Celtics opened the first quarter against the Miami Heat making 9 of 11 from the 3-point line. The Celtics lead the Heat, 70-45, at halftime. Ime Udoka has adjusted his pick-and-roll coverage to shrink the window for the ball-handler, causing the Celtics to string together a slew of stops while going scorched earth from 3. It looks an awful lot like the first half of Game 2 of Boston's second-round series against the Bucks, when the Celtics went into the half with a 65-40 lead. Marcus Smart needs three rebounds for a triple double, which would be pret-tay, pret-tay good after missing Game 1 with a foot injury. They're up by more than 30 points and he missed the last game with a sprained foot. It was the fifth 40-point postseason game of Butler's three-year Heat tenure. The Celtics made 20 of their 40 3s to turn this game into a rout by halftime.

Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 27 points while Marcus Smart added 24 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in his return.

8:52 p.m. — The Heat have picked up where they left off, jumping out to a 15-8 lead. 8:30 p.m. Jayson Tatum picks up his second foul of the game with 4:14 remaining in the first quarter. 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. We're almost halfway through the third period and the Celtics are up 23 points. This is getting out of hand for the Heat. 10:12 p.m. — Update: Boston continues to lead ... by a lot. Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 27 points as the Celtics cruised to victory in Game 2 to tie the series up at 1-1. Jimmy Butler leads all scorers with 29 points but he hasn't had much help. 35 35

Boston's defensive-minded guard is reportedly hoping to return for Game 2 vs. Miami, while veteran center Al Horford seems likely to miss another game.

Overall, he is averaging 15 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in the 2022 playoffs. Smart played in six of the seven games against Milwaukee. He missed Game 2 because of a quad injury. Typically, it has taken players who test positive a minimum of five days to escape the protocols. Horford averaged 13.0 points and a team-best 10.4 rebounds in the Celtics’ seven-game win over Milwaukee, starting all those contests. This is the start of Horford’s third stint in the protocols this season; he missed time in the preseason and Boston’s season opener, then missed five more games in December. Boston was already bracing for Smart — the league’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year — to be out, after he injured his foot on Sunday in Game 7 of Boston’s East semifinals win over Milwaukee. But losing Horford was a surprise blow to the Celtics, adding to the team’s lineup dilemma.

With Marcus Smart and Al Horford back in the fold, Boston showcased what makes its defense special.

And it's not really a mismatch that teams can really try to go after. Grant hit a few threes late in the first quarter that kept the floor spaced and established driving lanes for the ball-handlers. All those baskets early on allowed the Celtics to get set, find matchups and then keep everything in front of them with decisive switches. They hit tough pull-ups, and sprayed the ball out to wide-open teammates. But just as important, Boston’s defenders made plays in Game 2 that felt like a direct response to their hiccups in Game 1. The Celtics shouldn’t have to remind anyone how dominant their defense— which has statistically been about as good during the playoffs as it was when it finished first in the regular season—truly is.

FrontPageBets takes a deeper look at the third game of the Miami-Boston series.

Victor Oladipo (14 points) and Tyler Herro (11 points) were tops off the bench. Gambling problem? Jimmy Butler points: Over 26.5 (-120); Under 26.5 (-105) Gabe Vincent (14 points) was the other. Williams answered the call off the bench, providing both an offensive and defensive spark. Marcus Smart (24 points, 12 assists) came back from an ankle injury.

BOSTON -- — Marcus Smart brought the energy boost the Celtics needed to ignite a blowout win in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the ...

He had an MRI Friday before boarding the team plane to Boston and is questionable for Game 2 with irritation in the knee. “It did feel good to have unit out there that we know when we’re out there what we can do.” Boston coach Ime Udoka said the consensus after Game 1 was that the Heat out-hustled his team. "We pride ourselves on being one of the tougher teams,” Udoka said. In Game 2, he contributed 24 points and 12 assists in the Celtics’ 127-102 victory. “I just kept telling myself, Game 2 you’re playing,” Smart said.

NBA Playoffs odds, picks, and predictions for the Miami Heat at Boston Celtics on May 21. NBA betting free picks against the spread and Over/Under.

Celtics predictions and picks in a single-game parlay, you could win $61.78 on a $10 bet? In Game 2, the Celtics returned to normal. Another first-half win should be in order, and that can be had for as low as a bucket. And there is little reason to ever expect the Heat to drastically exceed those averages. Against the best defense in the NBA, those rarities will not become newfound realities. The Celtics played seven men meaningful minutes but still managed to keep Tatum to 32 minutes and Brown to 33. In these playoffs, the Celtics have shot 38.8% from deep, compared to 50% percent on Thursday. That was a boost of five makes from beyond the arc. That normal crushed the Heat. The 25-point victory was buoyed by hot shooting, but even if removing that variance, Boston would have won. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that they ultimately wore down in the second half. On some level, losing two starters for a Conference Finals game has to be recognized as the detriment it is. After winning Game 2, the Celtics opened as 5.5-point favorites late Thursday night. Boston evened the Eastern Conference Finals with a dominant Game 2 showing, stealing home-court advantage as it did so.

Miami HEAT vs. Boston Celtics Saturday, May 21 @ 8:30 PM Series Record: 1-1.

Boston was up by as much as they were up – 34 at the largest lead, but consistently over after their major runs – because they were hitting just about everything. Their switching flattened the HEAT out, their lights-out shooting (20-of-40 from three) and paint attacks kept the HEAT playing in the halfcourt, and the visitors were the more physical, more disciplined team. Just as quick as Game 1 turned after the break when the HEAT rediscovered their own identity playing physical and precise defense and letting that effort power their offense, this time Boston was the team finding itself. 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. Max Strus was getting open, shots were falling, and the HEAT were up 15-8. - 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.

NBA analyst Austin Wang breaks down Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, including why there's value on the Celtics at home.

More importantly, against a stellar defensive team, they took care of the ball and distributed the ball well, posting a 3.1 Assist-to-Turnover Ratio (28 assists and nine turnovers). Home favorites off a series game where they had an Assist-to-Turnover Ratio of 2.5 or greater have gone 75-45-1 (62.5%) ATS dating back to the 2002-2003 season, per the SDQL at Gimme The Dog. In addition to the defensive boost, having Smart back provided them with another playmaker. They were able to survive without his presence in the first two rounds, but the Celtics pose a tougher task. The Heat did not lose much this season, but when they did, it was to the league’s best defensive teams. Huge shocker: Having Defensive Player of the Year back in the rotation makes a big difference. Horford was out for Game 1 due to health and safety protocols and was listed as doubtful through Game 2. He is traveling with the team to Boston, but he is still listed as questionable. Butler was able to score at ease in Game 1, often times hunting out Payton Pritchard. The Heat’s overall aggressiveness against Tatum in the third quarter run caused him to turn the ball over six times in that quarter alone. They made 20 3-pointers and used a strong second quarter to extend the lead and never looked back. The Heat took advantage of a fatigued, short-handed Celtics team and outscored them 39-14 in the third quarter. The Celtics were fresh off the win of a grueling, seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks while the Miami Heat had been resting for a few days. In addition, the Celtics were also down two starters, DPOY Marcus Smart (injured foot) and Al Horford (health and safety protocols).