The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will meet in a clash that pits two of the deepest teams in the league against each other. In the two previous matchups between these two squads earlier in the season, Boston came out on top both times, with Jaylen Brown averaging 28 points and shooting 55 percent from the field in those two contests. Both games, though, were before Miami made the trade that brought in defensive-minded players in Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder.
We'll see if those two players can make a defensive impact for Miami and slow down players like Brown and Jayson Tatum in the bubble. Here's everything you need to know about Tuesday's Celtics-Heat matchup.
How to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Aug. 4 | 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Disney Wide World of Sports -- Orlando, Florida
- TV: TNT
- Odds: Celtics -3 | O/U: 220
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Storylines
Celtics: Boston almost blew a 24-point lead against the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday afternoon, but its depth proved to be too much for Damian Lillard's late-game heroics. After going 2 of 18 from the field in his first game in the bubble, Tatum knocked off the rust by finishing with 34 points, to go along with Brown's 30-point performance. The first half of that game showed Boston at its best, playing stout defense that results in turnovers and getting points in a variety of ways from its multitude of scorers. The second half, though, the Celtics fell apart on defense and settled for bad shots. That first-half team needs to show up for a full 48 minutes in the postseason, and they'll need to exhibit that against the Heat on Tuesday.
Heat: Miami is coming off a tough loss to the Toronto Raptors, one in which the team shot an uncharacteristic 31 percent from 3-point range. The Raptors stifled the Heat from long range, forcing Miami to get its points in other ways, and it resulted in Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler combining for just 26 points. The win against a short-handed Denver Nuggets team had a lot of people excited for what this team could potentially do in the postseason, but the loss to Toronto brought Miami back down to reality a bit. This game against Boston will be another test against one of the East's top teams, and a defense that is just a notch below the Raptors, ranking fifth in defensive rating (106.6). It will be interesting to see what changes head coach Erik Spoelstra makes against another tough defensive-minded team, especially with his team coming off its first back-to-back in the bubble.
Game prediction
Both teams have dynamic offensive games, with several players capable of catching fire at a moment's notice, but Boston's defense and Miami's lack of rest will be the difference-maker in this game. It may not be a blowout like the Portland game, or rather what appeared to be a blowout in the first half, but the Celtics' defense will learn from that second-half lapse and get out on shooters like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro to make life difficult for them. Pick: Celtics -3
