Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat are on the brink of making it back to the NBA Finals as they topped the Boston Celtics in Game 4.
Tyler Herro poured in 37 points on an efficient shooting night while Jimmy Butler had 24 points, and they can close out the series on Game 5 this Friday evening.
Miami led for most of the evening as they were able to outwork Boston while taking care of the ball.
However, the Celtics weren’t going down easy as they tried to mount a comeback effort only to fall short in the end.
With the Celtics’ backs against the wall, they would need to pull out a miracle to try and extend the series.
Meanwhile, the Heat will leave no room for complacency especially looking at what happened with the Jazz and the Clippers.
Can the Boston Celtics live to fight another day? Or will the Miami Heat continue to make big NBA 2020 news with their Cinderella run?
Here is today’s match preview courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Celtics left to rue missed opportunities
The Celtics must be kicking themselves right now for the situation that they are in.
They had multiple chances to be in driver’s seat for this series, but instead, they are fighting for their lives with their recent defeat.
In the first three games of this series, the Celtics always had the advantage in the first half. However, the Heat would always fight back.
The Celtics had a disastrous fourth period in Game 1, while an awful stretch in the third quarter did them in during Game 2.
But everything changed when Gordon Hayward came back into the lineup, which led to their win in Game 3.
However, in Game 4, the Heat came out firing by leading for the most part.
It wasn’t until the fourth period to where the Celtics finally regained the edge, but the Heat’s big guns sealed the deal down the stretch.
Tyler Herro’s backbreaking threes along with timely buckets from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic put the Heat up 3-1 in this series.
To stay alive, the Celtics would need to play with a big sense of urgency for Game 5.
Brad Stevens and his coaching staff would have to figure out on how to combat the Heat’s zone defence along with their size disadvantage.
Heat are firing on all cylinders
Tyler Herro dribbles the ball as Jaylen Brown chases the rookie
Everything’s well and good if you’re a Miami Heat fan as no one saw this coming prior to the season.
The Heat are on the brink of making it back to the NBA Finals as they are peaking at the right time.
Even for the times that Miami were facing a big deficit, their mix of veteran smarts and youthful energy is what kept them in the game.
Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic have been the team’s old reliables, while their young guns in Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have been producing numerous NBA 2020 highlights.
In Game 4, Tyler Herro broke Dwyane Wade’s record for the most points scored by a rookie in a playoff game. Wade set the record back in 2004 in which he tallied 27 markers.
Moreover, the Celtics have yet to find an answer for Bam Adebayo as he is living in the paint.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Heat are expected to advance to the NBA Finals awaiting the winner between the Nuggets-Lakers.
History
The last time that the Heat made it to the Finals was back in 2014 led by LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.
This also marks the 12th time that the Heat are holding a 3-1 lead in a series. Miami never lost so far when holding such advantage.
What are the odds?
Despite going down 3-1, the Celtics are favoured to extend the series for at least one more match. In the money market, they are priced at 1.63 compared to Miami, who are at 2.33.
The Brad Stevens-coached squad is also favoured in the Asian Handicap market, although they are priced between the line of -3.00 to -4.00. So it’s safe to say that another close game awaits us this Friday.
But what the NBA 2020 odds don’t account for is the momentum that the Heat have right now. To their credit, they have been the better team down the stretch and they are primed to move on either way.
For the meantime, do check out the Western Conference Finals matchup between the Lakers and the Nuggets with our Game 4 preview here.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post NBA Preview: Celtics to Make One Last Stand appeared first on SBOTOP.
