A matchup we have seen three of the last four years will come our way again on Wednesday night when the Miami Heat go on the road to take on the Boston Celtics for the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals.
These two opponents know each other well, and a lot of core players that have been involved in this series over the years are still here to play.
Jimmy Butler was a one-man wrecking crew in the first round, but the rest of the Heat players stepped up around him in their matchup against the New York Knicks.
The Celtics were on the brink of elimination against Philadelphia in game six, but all of a sudden, Jayson Tatum scored 67 points starting from the final six minute mark of the fourth quarter and into game seven.
Off the exhilarating home victory over Philly, the Celtics open game one as favorites over the Miami Heat at -8.
Continuing on with their magical run this postseason
Only one other eight-seed has made it all the way to the NBA Finals, and the Miami Heat have a chance to make history here against the Celtics.
What is most important for their roster is that Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are both healthy and ready to play, and the rest of the players around those two have stepped up in a big way.
Unlikely heroes like Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin are joining forces with savvy veterans like Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love to create one of the most unique conference finals teams we have ever seen.
There are no doubts about their coaching, and Erik Spoelstra has shown again why he is among the elite coaches in the NBA.
Unfinished business for the Celtics
While the emotional and powerful win over the 76ers got everyone feeling good again, it is a reminder to many how quickly these series can swing from game to game.
The best news for Boston is that Jayson Tatum may have finally unlocked something with his offensive explosion in game seven, and now he won’t have to worry about Joel Embiid blocking his shot at the rim.
Other players around Tatum have taken turns in showing out with good production, but the defense is certainly going to have to tighten up if they want to take care of business in this series.
Heat @ Celtics Betting Prediction
In the last 10 to 12 years, at least one of these two teams has been featured in the conference finals, and it just goes to show how they are the class of the Eastern Conference.
Two excellent organizations that have done well in developing talent, while also remaining relevant in the free agent market.
There are lots of positives to point to when looking at both franchises, and the Celtics are going to be looking for the same burst of energy from their home crowd that they received in game seven.
Take the Celtics to win the opener on their home court at -8.
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