Don’t look now, but we have a series. With a 110-97 win in Game 5, the Boston Celtics now trail only 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the win becoming only the 12th team in NBA history to force Game 6 after trailing 3-0 in a best-of-seven series.
They are trying to become the first team never – out of 151 attempts – to completely overcome this deficit. But with Game 6 back in Miami, the Heat is still in the driving seat, at least on paper. Here’s the rundown.
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No. 8 Heat vs. No. 2 Celtics
8:30 p.m. ET on TNT
What are the odds for a Heat vs. Celtics match?
series: Heat leads 3-2
String odds: Heat -135, Celtics +115
The Heat have only lost one of their seven home games so far this postseason, so, in theory, they should feel pretty tough about returning to Miami after a disappointing Game 5 loss in which they trailed by double digits the entire time.
However, that is one defeat He was To those Celtics on a shutout opportunity in Game 4. Going back to the last Eastern Conference Finals — when Boston won Games 2, 5, and 7 in Miami — the Heat have only been 2-4 in their last six home games against that opponent.
Such is the nature of this match. The home court advantage is nowhere near a given. Games are decided by which supplement players from the team decide to burn the net from 3-point range (on Thursday, Derrick White and Marcus Smart filled that role for Boston, combining to make 10 of 14 attempts from 3-point range as four Celtics scored 20. – additional points).
Derrick White comes in size @employee Winning game 5!
24 points
6 3 m (high level in playoff)
2 STLGame 6 BOS/MIA:
Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT pic.twitter.com/fYR2VzqLQl– The NBA May 26, 2023
But the enduring key for Boston, Joe Mazzola said in a candid Ian Popovich in-game interview with TNT, is the team’s defensive identity. With an energetic coaching drive, they turned Miami’s 16 turnovers into 27 points for the second straight game — and kept Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in check during the competitive portion of the contest. At the same time, Jayson Tatum, with 21 points and 11 assists, showed significantly improved poise in attacking the Heat’s varied defensive schemes than previously in the series.
Of course, the absence of Gabe Vincent left Miami without a reliable safety valve to punish the back end of Boston’s aggressive runs. His status is not yet clear for Game 6, but it will be necessary to keep an eye on it, especially since Kyle Lowry has been completely ineffective starting where he is and Tyler Hero and Victor Oladipo are already holed up on the rack.
Boston is awaiting word on Malcolm Brogdon, who left Game 5 early with an elbow problem he’s had for some time, too. But the odds — and the momentum of play — have officially swung in the Celtics’ favor. BetMGM has Boston as the slight advantage on the road to Game 6.
Expert picks for the Heat vs. Celtics
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(Photo by Marcus Smart: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)