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Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics NBA Pick
Date/Time: Saturday, May 7, 8:00 PM ET
Venue: TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Broadcast: ABC
Money Line: Boston -160, Miami +140
Spread: Boston -3
Over/Under: 183
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After coasting through their first round series against New York, the Boston Celtics face their first must-win game of the playoffs when they host the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday.
The Celtics are hoping that some extra rest between Games 2 and 3 will help their veteran players gain some valuable rest for the upcoming challenge. Since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were added to the mix with Paul Pierce to form Boston’s newest edition of the ‘Big Three’ in 2007, this is the first time they have trailed 0-2 in a series.
Boston is also hoping to get some valuable minutes from another greybeard with playoff experience as Shaquille O’Neal returns from injury. The hope is that O’Neal can provide some leadership on the floor and a strong presence on the glass as well.
Miami has a 5-0 record in these playoffs when they outrebound their opponents, something that has happened in both of the first two games in this series. The C’s may want to place more defensive effort in slowing down Dwayne Wade. The Heat’s forward has scored at least 25 points in seven consecutive post-season games against Boston. This is the longest streak against the Celtics since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posted eight such 25 plus-point games from 1974-1984.
The Celtics know that history is against them as they try to jump back into this series. Since the NBA divided itself into two conferences for the 1970-71 season, no Eastern Conference team has ever rebounded from a 0-2 deficit to win a conference semifinal series. Miami has also taken a 2-0 series lead seven times in their franchise history and won those series all seven times.
Boston would love to see Jeff Green step up his outside shooting over these next few games. Green was acquired from Oklahoma City at the trade deadline to help take pressure off Ray Allen to produce from downtown. So far in the post-season, Green is shooting just 39% from the floor and 41.7% from three-point range.
The Celtics also need to protect the ball better, averaging 15.5 turnovers per game in the post-season. The Heat are averaging just 12.1 turnovers per contest in the playoffs. Boston should also be weary of Chris Bosh, who produced a double double in Miami’s Game 2 victory with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The odds makers have the Boston Celtics as a -3 point favorite with an over/under of 183.
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Matt’s Free Prediction: Celtics – The C’s have historically enjoyed a significant home court advantage, be it at the old Boston Garden or their new barn with a similar name. With their backs firmly planted against the wall, expect the Celtics to answer the bell like the veteran team they are.
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