Celtics, Heat Collide In South Beach
The Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics at Kaseya Center on Saturday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round. The series is tied 1-1.

The Heat did something few teams accomplished in the regular season: defeating the Celtics at TD Garden. Their 111-101 win in Game 2 of the series puts Miami in an excellent position ahead of the rest of the series, as the Heat simply need to win their three games at home to pull the upset and eliminate the team that posted the best record in the league during the regular season. Of course, that’s easier said than done. The Heat went 22-19 at home this campaign, so they’re far from a juggernaut when playing in South Beach. Plus, the fact that the Heat are without Jimmy Butler can’t be overlooked. Miami overachieved in the Game 2 win, and the chances of them playing with that same intensity throughout the rest of the series are highly unlikely.

Delon Wright (personal) is a game-time call for Saturday. Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck) are out. Josh Richardson (shoulder) is out for the rest of the season.

The Celtics posted a league-best 64-18 mark during the regular season and went 27-14 on the road. In other words, they are not overly worried after losing one of their two contests against the Heat at home. The Celtics are at full strength and should be confident about their chances of stealing at least one from Kaseya Center, as that’s everything Boston needs to recover the home-field advantage. Carried by the star power of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the versatility of Kristaps Porzingis, and the defensive tenacity of the Derrick White - Jrue Holiday backcourt duo, few teams are as deep and as dangerous as the Celtics in the league. The Celtics will aim to show that in Game 3 to recover the home-field advantage.

Luke Kornet (calf) is listed as a game-time call for Saturday.
Posted on: 4/26/2024 8:58 PM