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The Miami Heat will be eager to avoid seeing their 2023 playoffs end in the most disappointing way possible against the Boston Celtics. The Heat have allowed the Celtics to find their way back into the series, despite holding a 3-0 advantage.
Boston has tied the series 3-3 against all odds and swung the tie in their favor, with Game 7 set to be played at TD Garden. The Celtics also have the momentum they need to prevail in this contest. Boston is the favorite before tip-off, and theoretically, the oddsmakers have made a fair pick.
The Heat have gotten outplayed for large spans over the last three games, and they may have hit their ceiling this postseason as the eighth seed while missing Tyler Herro and backup guard Victor Oladipo.
5 reasons why Miami Heat can win Game 7 against Boston Celtics
Despite entering Game 7 as the underdogs, the Miami Heat will have a legitimate shot at avenging their 2022 conference finals loss against the Boston Celtics on Monday. The Heat have played as well as anyone with their backs against the walls, and several factors have helped them put together an inspiring performance.
Their entire season has been dominated by major highs and lows. Playing a Game 7 on the road in the conference finals might not rattle Miami as expected. On that note, here's a look at five reasons why the Heat still stand a chance against the Celtics to keep their season alive.
#1. Erik Spoelstra's experience
The Miami Heat players deserve their flowers for playing out of their skins. Head coach Erik Spoelstra deserves just as much credit for preparing them to go to battle. Spoelstra has put together a Hall of Fame effort to get the Heat ready mentally and on the court to reach this far as the eighth seed.
He has outcoached his peers more often than not, especially his counterpart, rookie coach Joe Mazzulla this series. Mazzulla has countered Spoelstra with some smart decisions over the last couple of games, but the latter's experience could be crucial in Monday's Game 7.
Spoelstra didn't go much wrong in the last three losses. Considering his 15-years-worth of experience, it would be safe to assume he will rectify the marginal errors that he may have made in these last three games.
#2. Heat figured adjustments in Game 6
The Miami Heat came into Game 6 with significant adjustments that allowed them within touching distance of an NBA Finals appearance. Despite Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo shooting a combined 9-of-37, the Heat nearly won the game and closed the series at home on Saturday if not for Derrick White's buzzer-beater with 0.1 seconds left.
There wasn't much the Heat could've done at that stage when guarding the in-bounds play as they forced a jumper from Marcus Smart from deep and boxed out Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Nevertheless, the adjustment to start Caleb Martin, who has been solid this entire series, for Kevin Love, was huge. He had 21 points and 15 rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting from deep. Meanwhile, Gabe Vincent's return also helped the Miami Heat's struggling offense, especially with their 3-point shooting. The Heat knocked down 14-of-30 shots.
#3. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo aren't shooting 9-of-37 again
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo could only convert a combined 9-of-37 shots in Game 6. However, the aggression was there, especially from Butler, who scored 13 of his 24 points in the final five minutes and gave the Heat a one-point lead with three seconds left. Despite their off-shooting nights, the Heat nearly claimed the win.
Very rarely a superstar duo struggles that much with their offense in back-to-back games. Butler and Adebayo were unfazed by the pressure of playing on the road in Games 1 and 2, and that's unlikely to change in Monday's Game 7.
Butler rises to the occasion as well as any other player in the NBA in crunch games, so it wouldn't be ideal to count him out from bouncing back in Game 7.
#4. Turnovers are in control
The Miami Heat put a halt to their turnovers in Game 6. They only lost the possession five times, compared to 15 in Game 4 and 16 in Game 5. The Heat were better with their execution offensively and finding the open man. They had it going from the 3-point line but just didn't see their shots falling from inside the arc.
Miami isn't a turnover-prone team, so they are unlikely to be inconsistent with their turnover rate. It hampered their offense big-time in Games 4 and 5 as they scored under 100 in both those games.
#5. Celtics' streaky home form
The Boston Celtics' homecourt advantage is one of the key talking points ahead of Game 7 and why many believe they will be the favorites to beat the Miami Heat. However, as good as the Celtics are, they have surprisingly underperformed at home when the stakes are high.
They dropped Game 1 to the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid at home in the conference semis, and Game 5 with the series tied 2-2. The Celtics needed a 51-point effort from Jayson Tatum to prevail in Game 7.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have dropped two home games against the Miami Heat to start the conference finals. The same core with a different coach lost two games at home in the 2022 conference finals.
The Celtics have a 5-5 record at home this season, the worst win percentage among teams that made it past round one.
Guess the Lakers players!
