Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - May 29th, 2023 | NBA Playoffs, Game 7

The Eastern Conference Finals between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are improbably tied at 3-3 after Derrick White’s buzzer-beater in Game 6. Boston rattled off three straight wins after going down 0-3 to be on the brink of NBA history.

The Celtics could become the first team to win a playoff series after losing the first three games. They could accomplish what 150 other teams failed to do in league annals.

Boston’s success has almost always hinged on their ability to hit the three-pointer. They are 38-2 this season, regular season and playoffs included, when they hit at least 40% from behind the arc.

The Celtics were only 7-35 (20.0%), their worst in the series, and still came out on top. Derrick White’s shot left with just 0.1 seconds left in the game to push the series to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday.

The Miami Heat looked like they had punched a playoff ticket when they led 103-102 on Jimmy Butler’s three free throws. “Jimmy Buckets” scored 11 of Miami’s last 13 points to overcome Boston’s 10-point lead with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The loss was gut-wrenching but everyone on the Heat’s side has all guaranteed they’re beating the Celtics on the road. Boston can’t wait to prove them wrong on Monday.

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Where to watch

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will be at 8:30 PM ET. TNT will air the game on national TV. Basketball fans can also catch the action by streaming the game via the NBA League Pass.

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Game Preview

The Miami Heat don’t want to be on the wrong end of history after Monday’s Game 7. They don't want to be remembered as the first team to surrender a 3-0 lead in the playoffs.

Erik Spoelstra vowed after Game 6 that he doesn’t know how his team will accomplish it, but they will get the job done. Jimmy Butler echoes the same sentiment. Butler rued that had he been better, the series would not have reached the full route.

How they got to this situation is immaterial now. The Miami Heat now has no choice but to dig deep and try to steal another game on the road against the Boston Celtics.

Butler was 5-21 from the field but nearly dragged the Heat to the NBA Finals. He will have to get going right from the opening tip for Miami to stay in the game. The versatile forward can’t have another slow start or the Celtics could run them off the floor.

Bam Adebayo only had 11 points on 4-16 shooting. If there was a game to win where both stars played sub-par, Game 6 was it. If they put on the same uneven performance, the Boston Celtics could set a date with the Denver Nuggets in the championship round.

The Celtics, on the other hand, did everything they could to blow the game away. They stopped being aggressive when they had a 10-point lead with under four minutes left in the game.

Jayson Tatum, after scoring 25 first-half points, added just six points after that. He also can’t have another up-and-down game for Boston to accomplish what they’ve tried so hard to do.

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Game prediction

Spread: Celtics (-7)

Total (O/U): 203.5

Moneyline: Heat (+248) vs. Celtics (-308)

Momentum is on the Boston Celtics' side. They were 0.1 seconds away from elimination. They’ve fought off criticism and ridicule to give themselves a chance to return to the NBA Finals. Boston will not waste another golden opportunity.

The Miami Heat will have a short memory and give the Celtics everything they could handle. Boston, however, seems destined to make history after White’s miraculous game-winner.

Boston Celtics 115, Miami Heat 113

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