The NBA playoff game between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat was a highly anticipated matchup that did not disappoint. The Heat came out strong from the start, with their star players leading the charge and dominating on both ends of the court. The Celtics, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm and were unable to keep up with Miami's fast-paced style of play.
The Heat's defense was suffocating, forcing turnovers and converting them into easy points in transition. Their offense was firing on all cylinders, with precise ball movement and sharpshooting from beyond the arc. The Celtics fought hard until the final buzzer, but ultimately could not overcome Miami's relentless pressure.
On the other hand, this Heat team is just not very good and without Jimmy Butler, they should barely register as a speed bump to this year’s version of the Celtics. Boston has much greater goals in this year’s playoffs and they simply have to do their job to advance to the next round. If anything, they should be focused on making quick work of this series so they can rest and prepare for the next one.
Derrick White added 20 points and four assists for Boston, which finished with six players in double-figures.
Miami spoiled the Celtics' NBA finals dreams last season, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the conference finals and then blowing them out in Boston in Game 7.
Celtics' lead grew as high as 34 points in the fourth. Miami used a late run to get as close as 14, but Boston was able to close it out.
The two teams have now played 21 games in the playoffs against each other since the 2019-20 campaign. The Heat hold the narrowest of advantages in the matchup, 11-10.
But it sure does feel as though the pendulum will swing back to Boston this year, potentially in a major way as Butler is forced to watch from the sidelines. Game 1 felt like a preview of a lopsided series to come.
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