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After a 104-84 beatdown against the Boston Celtics two nights ago, the Miami Heat try to defend their home court again in Game 4. The Heat couldn’t sustain their impressive road win in the second game of the series when they were whipped by the No. 1 seed. Miami will give it another shot despite Terry Rozier and Jimmy Butler in street clothes on Monday.
The Celtics showed that they didn’t have to shoot well from deep to embarrass the Heat. Boston’s defense suffocated Erik Spoelstra’s offense for nearly the entire game. Jayson Tatum and Co. will be raring to put the hosts through the wringer again.
Miami has a tall task at hand but it will not quit. The team isn’t likely to outscore the Celtics again like it did in their only win in the series. The Heat's defense will have to scrap and hustle to contain Boston and hope to escape with a win.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat: Preview, prediction and betting tips
Kaseya Center will host Game 4 of the series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. TNT will air the game as it happens while Bally Sports Sun and NBC Sports Boston will cover the same locally. Basketball fans can also stream the action by subscribing to the NBA League Pass.
Moneyline: Celtics (-550) vs. Heat (+400)
Spread: Celtics (-10.5) vs. Heat (+10.5)
Total (O/U): Celtics (o203.5 -110) vs. Heat (u203.5 -110)
Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of the writing.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat: Game preview
The Boston Celtics opened Game 3 with a smirk on their faces. Unlike last year, they were unfazed by what was waiting for them in South Beach. They proceeded to pummel the hosts even without getting their deadly rainbow shots to fall.
It seems like the Celtics want to beat the Heat at their own game. They’re proving that they can still mow down their opponents minus their outside accuracy.
The Miami Heat offense is unsurprisingly stuttering. Erik Spoelstra has been forced to lean on Tyler Herro to create for his team. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had flashes of generating looks for himself and his teammates but they were far and few in between.
Miami will again be aggressive from deep, hoping to outshoot the Celtics. But if that does not work, they will have to try and contain Boston’s high-octane offense from going off.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat: Starting lineups, subs and rotation
PG - Jrue Holiday, PG - Derrick White, C - Kristaps Porzingis, PF - Jayson Tatum and SG - Jaylen Brown will open the game for the Boston Celtics.
Al Horford for Porzingis is likely to be the first move by Joe Mazzulla yet again. The rest of his rotation will depend on the flow of the game.
SF - Caleb Martin, F - Nikola Jovic, G - Jaime Jaquez Jr., SG - Tyler Herro and C - Bam Adebayo will line up as the Miami Heat’s starters.
Erik Spoelstra could send in Haywood Highsmith first to shadow Jayson Tatum. Duncan Robinson might see minutes earlier just so Spoelstra can threaten Boston with a reliable sniper.
Editor’s Note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat: Betting tips
Tyler Herro gets a 20.5 over/under points prop on Monday. Herro hardly saw daylight in Game 3 as Boston’s defense zeroed in on him. Spoelstra will likely have some counters to free up his most creative player on offense. The Heat badly needs to win and Herro could top his points prop out of sheer necessity.
Jayson Tatum has a 26.5 over/under points prop. Tatum has gone over 26 points just once when the Celtics were embarrassed in Boston in Game 2. For most of the series, he hasn’t been forcing his shots, focusing instead on making everyone around him better.
He could be in that vein again in Game 4, causing him to go under 26 points on Sunday.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat: Prediction
The Boston Celtics are bossing the Miami Heat in almost any statistic in the series. After getting themselves burned in Game 2, they were businesslike in the next encounter to grab a 2-1 lead. The Heat will not give up and likely make it tough until the visitors will pull away.
Boston is likely leaving South Beach with a win that will also beat Miami’s +10.5 spread.
