Henry Roldán
We are in the final stretch of the 2021-2022 season and the NBA Playoffs are red-hot, so with both Conference Final series already defined, we begin to talk about the Eastern Conference.
In this article, we will analyze the tough confrontation between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. When will the commitments be, which team starts as the betting favorite, and everything we can expect from this interesting duel between the two best teams in this Conference.
It is worth remembering that the Miami team defeated the Philadelphia 76ers with some ease in the second-round matchup after winning the series 4-2, while Boston had to go deep to eliminate the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, in seven games.
NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics – General Data and Odds
- Where: FTX Arena – Miami, Florida. The Heat’s advantage is they play as locals, so, in addition to the first two games of the series, the fifth and seventh games would be played in this scenario. For their part, the games corresponding to the third, fourth, and possible sixth matches will be played at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
- When: Tuesday, May 17, 8:30 PM ET (In case a seventh match is played, the series would end on Monday, May 23)
- Betting Line (Series): Miami Heat (+150) vs. Boston Celtics (-180)
Miami Heat Preview (#1 Seed in Eastern Conference)
- Overall Record: 53-29
- Record vs. Boston Celtics this season: 1-2.
- Spread (1st Game): -1.5
- Over/Under (1st Game): Under 204
- Moneyline (1st Game): -125
Without detracting from what the Miami Heat have done so far, this time they will have to show that finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference was no coincidence. Despite having beaten locals and strangers this year, Erik Spoelstra’s team is not a favorite in the series, and here are several of the reasons that justify it.
After beating the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers with Joel Embiid playing half-heartedly, the Heat will face one of the three best defenses in the league starting this Tuesday, being one of the least skillful teams to score points in the season. Butler-dependency, Tyler Herro’s inconsistency in the postseason, and Kyle Lowry’s absence in the first game due to his recurring hamstring discomfort do not bode well for Miami.
One point in the Heat’s favor is that this team has dealt with injury problems all year. Jimmy Butler himself missed a lot of playing time, and they pulled through, especially when they played at home, where they had the best record in the East at 29-12. However, as we already discussed, the ‘Butler-dependency’ could kill Miami, as its star is averaging 28.7 points per game this postseason. Who’s next? Bam Adebayo with just 14.6.
On the defensive side, the Miami team has nothing to envy Boston. In fact, they only received 97.5 points per game, the only team to average less than 100 this season. The problem is that Boston scores more and if the defenses net, the offense has to come out on top. Can the Heat do it?
Boston Celtics Preview (#2 Seed in Eastern Conference)
- Overall Record: 51-31
- Record vs. Miami Heat this season: 2-1
- Spread (1st Game): +1.5
- Over/Under (1st Game): Under 204
- Moneyline (1st Game): +105
The Boston Celtics are emboldened since the second half of the season, and it seems that nobody is able to stop this team that mixes an imposing defense with an offense full of talented figures like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
Boston was just two games behind Miami in the regular round and their time in the NBA Playoffs has been one of the best in recent years for the organization, as they swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round and finished in seven games with the aspiration of the Milwaukee Bucks, favorites to repeat the title.
This time they will have to face again a tough defense like the Heat, a team that finished with the fewest points allowed per game during the regular round. However, the Celtics already know what it’s like to beat a good defense, since in the series against Milwaukee, who finished second with just 101.3 points allowed per game, they only scored less than 100 once.
Therefore, if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can continue to score more than 20 points per game, as they average this postseason, it will be very difficult for them to lose the series against Miami. A team that defends very well, but does not seem to have the arguments to be able to score against the Boston defense, the third best in the league in the regular round with 101.8 points per game allowed.
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