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USATSI

The Boston Celtics followed up their dominant Game 4 performance with a second straight commanding victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Led by Jaylen Brown (25 points, four rebounds) and Jayson Tatum (22 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists), Boston pulled out a 93-80 victory to take a 3-2 lead in the series and push Miami to the brink of elimination. The Celtics now sit just one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010.

The Heat actually led Game 5 at halftime, but the Celtics completely flipped the script over the final 24 minutes of action and outplayed Miami on both ends of the floor to close out the contest. Boston will look to close out the series in front of their home crowd in Game 6 on Friday night, while the Heat will look to bounce back, extend their season, and force a decisive Game 7.   

Here's everything you need to know about Game 6 between Miami and Boston. 

(1) Miami Heat at (2) Boston Celtics

  • When: Friday, May 27 | 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: TD Garden -- Boston, Massachusetts 
  • TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo TV (try for free)
  • Odds: MIA +350; BOS -450; O/U 201 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Storylines

Heat: Jimmy Butler has clearly established himself as Miami's best player and go-to guy, but he has been a no-show for the Heat over the last three games of the series. After scoring just 14 total points in Game 3 and 4 combined, Butler mustered just 13 points in what amounted to be Miami's most important game of the season in Game 5. He took 18 shots, but made just four of them, and he connected on just one of his five attempts from long range.

In addition to just missing shots, there was an overall lack of aggression from Butler, illustrated by the fact that he took just four total free throws in the game. This is a guy who can typically get to the foul line at will, but he just wasn't in attack mode. He's likely dealing with an injured knee, or maybe he's just running out of gas after a long season. The Heat aren't going to win many games -- and they certainly won't win the series -- with Butler playing as poorly as he did in Game 5.    

Celtics: History is on Boston's side. Game 5 has proven to be a pivotal game in a best-of-7 series, especially when the series is tied at 2-2 after four games. Historically, teams that win Game 5 in that scenario go on to win the series nearly 82 percent of the time. That number is pretty staggering, but it makes sense, as the winner of Game 5 is afforded two opportunities to get one win, while the loser of Game 5 must win two straight to save their season. That's the situation facing Miami now. It must win two in a row, or its current campaign will come to a close. History isn't on the Heat's side, but it's not an impossible feat that they face, as it has been done before. Clearly, Boston will want to take care of business at home in Game 6 in order to avoid a do-or-die Game 7 in Miami. 

Prediction

The Heat are dealing with a multitude of injury issues to key contributors, and they just look worn down at this point in the postseason. The way they played over the past couple of games provided little reason for optimism, and Boston should get a boost from playing in front of its home crowd. Pick: Celtics -8.5