Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Shape of the Teams
After a surprising game 2 victory over the heavy favourite Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat got walked 104-84 in game three. Coming into the fourth game of the series, the Heat will be looking to bring back the momentum in their favour, but that could prove to be quite a challenge.
The Miami Heat are realistically no match for the Celtics in any facet, and adding insult to injury, Jimmy Butler’s return is nowhere in sight. Even with Bam Adebayo playing some of the best help defence we have seen in a while, the Heat simply don’t seem to have the personnel to topple the Celtics in a 7-game series.
Just take a look at game three: Jayson Tatum only scored 22, Kristaps Porziņģis scored 18, and Jaylen Brown put up 22 – yet the Celtics were able to completely dominate the pace of the game.
Unless Coach Erik Spoelstra has another rabbit to pull out of his hat like in game two, this series is looking like a 5 game sweep.
Odds via Tonybet | |
| Celtics vs Heat | April 29, 5:30 p.m EDT |
| Boston Celtics odds | -556 |
| Miami Heat odds | +390 |
| Boston Celtics spread -6.5 | -217 |
| Miami Heat spread +3.5 | +270 |
However, we have to give respect where respect is due. Tyler Herro has been shooting amazingly from beyond the arch at 45%, and Bam has been a beast on the defence. Which in a way makes it even sadder that the team just doesn’t have the talent to go deep in the playoffs.
On the Celtics side of things, Tatum and Brown have been having a field day on the perimeter, and although their slashing has been limited, they have been shooting well and putting the clamps on Miami’s shooting guards. And don’t even get us started on Jrue Holiday, the man has been an absolute monster on the defensive side of the ball while dropping several dimes.
poise under pressure 😤 pic.twitter.com/IQ2mBlAUI9
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 29, 2024
On the inside, Porziņģis has really been going blow for blow with Bam, although his rebounding numbers could use some work. As a 7-foot big, you should never be outrebounded by a 6’8 shooting guard.
That is all to say, we have been surprised at how well Miami has held up, but again, they simply don’t have the players to hold up against a team like Boston. Therefore, we have to give an edge to the Celtics going into game four.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Prediction
- Pick: Boston Celtics -6.5
- Odds: -217 (Tonybet)
All the Boston Celtics need to do is play their game and not get sucked into Erik Spoelstra’s mind games, and they should be fine. Again, with the combination of Tatum, Brown, and Holiday, there really isn’t much Herro and Bam can do.
If you try to shut down Boston’s outside shooting, they have a 7-foot Latvian sitting in the short corner, ready to abuse the rim, and if you don’t close out, Boston will torch you. Moreover, if you give Boston even an inch on the perimeter, Tatum and Brown are some of the best slashers in the NBA, even if Brown STILL has no left hand.
balanced attack 💪 pic.twitter.com/fCYadpLJm1
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 28, 2024
On the offensive side of the ball, if the Heat give too many shots to Herro, he’ll start getting doubled at half, and if they dump the ball to Bam too much, he’ll also get smothered with a quick double team. There really isn’t much Miami can do with somebody like Jimmy Butler dropping 30 points.
Miami will really have no momentum to speak of going into game four, a game that will inevitably decide the series. With Tatum doing everything on the court, Porziņģis holding it down on the inside, and Brown limiting Herro’s scoring, surprise surprise, we have to give it to the Celtics.
Making matters even worse, if the Heat don’t manage to eke out a win, it’ll be 3-1, and we find it hard to see them coming back from such a deficit. It’s not like they have a generational player to get them out of this hole.
Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat Player Pick
- Pick: Jayson Tatum to score over 25
- Odds: -233 (Tonybet)
As Miami and Boston enter into a pivotal game four, Jayson Tatum will likely be looking to assert himself as one of the best players in the game. And while it’s unlikely that he will break the 30 or 40-point mark, a solid 25+ point night wouldn’t be a stretch.
The Heat may have had one of the better defences in the regular season, but that strategy oftentimes relied on Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler working in tandem, and if you’ve noticed, only one of those guys is playing.
not satisfied until the job is done. pic.twitter.com/K24rllZd28
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 28, 2024
This has left Tatum with a massive mismatch, regardless of who’s playing on him. With his deep bag and imposing size, he can easily find his spot on the court and hurt the Miami defence. To go even further, Miami’s tendency to show in the passing lanes could end up hurting them in the long term, as Tatum thrives with contact.
Beyond just Miami’s defence, the Celtics will likely continue to use Tatum as the focal point of their offence in game four. Tatum is great in clutch situations and has no problem grabbing easy buckets.
While there are no guarantees in any sport, especially NBA basketball, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Tatum drop 25 points or more. He has scored far more points against much more imposing defensive schemes in the past.
Disclaimer: Odds are accurate at the time of posting and subject to change. Please verify the latest odds on our platform before betting.
