Kristaps Porzingis tips Heat's 8th seed in Playoffs gives them edge over Celtics

As Kristaps Porzingis and the Boston Celtics are well aware, there's a certain advantage that comes with being the best team in the Eastern Conference. In addition to having home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, the team also gets to face off with the eighth seed in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, as Kristaps Porzingis explained, being the eighth seed also has some advantages.

After a big win for the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the playoffs, the team struggled to defend home court in Game 2. Throughout the game, the team seemed to struggle to find consistency, battling back-and-forth with a Heat team that didn't include Jimmy Butler or Terry Rozier.

After a closely contested first half, the Celtics couldn't find their form in the second half. In the third quarter, they were outscored 27 points to 18, before then being outscored by four points in the fourth quarter en route to a 111-101 defeat.

While speaking to media members on Thursday, Kristaps Porzingis shed some light on what went wrong for Boston in Game 2. As he explained, the team felt the pressure of the moment:

"I think it's easier for them to play in a way because they are the at. They don't have, like, the way they were, like, shooting the ball with the freedom that they were, like, shooting the ball the other night. This is their, like not gift, but like, you know what? Almost. They all felt super free, you know?

"And we, on the other hand, maybe felt a little bit like number one seed against, you know, Miami at home. Like, that can maybe get to you a little bit."

Looking at the Boston Celtics-Miami Heat series on the heels of Kristaps Porzingis' comments, does Miami have what it takes to pull off another first-round upset?

As previously mentioned, the Celtics' loss in Game 2 was a shocking one. Considering the success of Kristaps Porzingis and the Celtics throughout the regular season, and Jimmy Butler's injury, many predicted a Boston win.

Despite that, Miami showed that regardless of the circumstances, the team can rise to the occasion and overcome the odds. While the Boston Celtics still sit as heavy betting favorites on major sportsbooks across America, the Heat's win has raised the question of whether Miami can pull off another upset.

Last season, despite the absence of Tyler Herro, the team was able to upset the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, shocking fans and analysts alike. Although few gave the team much of a chance of defeating the Boston Celtics in the first round, heading back to Miami with the series tied 1-1 is an impressive feat.

With an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead at home, it very well could be Miami feeling the pressure over the next two games. While the seeding of the playoffs hasn't changed, the circumstances surrounding the series have changed with the momentum shift.

Given that, it's safe to say that it will be fascinating to see how things play out when the two teams compete in Game 3 on Saturday.