7:35 pm
September 27

Celtics v. Heat

Who will WIN this matchup?

Boston Celtics

Miami Heat

 

Current odds:

Boston Celtics: (-150)

Miami Heat: (+130)

 

• The line for this game is Celtics by 3 points

• Two teams that hope to have learned something from the second half of their previous encounter will attempt to put their new information to good use Sunday night when the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics square off in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals near OrlandoThe fifth-seeded Heat remain one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance in six years after squandering a seven-point halftime lead in a 121-108 loss in Game 5 on Friday night.

• The win allowed the third-seeded Celtics not only to remain alive in the best-of-seven but move to within two wins of another NBA Finals appearance of their own, an opportunity the 17-time champions haven’t had since 2010. Both teams came out of Friday’s game talking energy — some used, some kept in reserve.

• Heat coach Erik Spoelstra agreed, then spun it in his team’s direction. With Tatum and Miami’s Jimmy Butler neutralizing each other’s brilliance, the first five games have swung in the favor of the team with the more productive supporting cast.

• The Heat got that from Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder with a combined 51 points in an overtime win in Game 1. Then from Duncan Robinson’s six 3-pointers and 18 points in Game 2. And most notably, from Tyler Herro’s historic 37-point flurry in Game 4 that brought the Heat within arm’s length of advancing.

• The Celtics countered that with a combined 67 points from Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart in their first win in Game 3, and with an out-of-nowhere double-double from Daniel Theis that helped keep Boston alive on Friday. Such has been the up-and-down nature of the series. Herro followed up his 37-point explosion with just 14 in Game 5. Meanwhile, Theis had totaled just 18 points and 21 rebounds in Boston’s three losses before going for 15 and 13 on Friday.

• Something else that reversed itself in Game 5 was the series’ turnover disparity. After the Celtics had averaged 4.7 more per game in the first four meetings, they had two fewer (13-11) than the Heat in Game 5.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Boston Celtics
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