The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat, 118-84, in Game 5 on Wednesday to advance to the second round and send the Heat home.
Amazingly, it’s the fourth time in five years that the two teams have met in the postseason, with the two series prior adding fuel to the rivalry. The Celtics beat the Heat in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 while the Heat beat the Celtics in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
However, going into this year’s first-round series, just about everyone knew this face-off would be lacking a certain punch. Jimmy Butler sprained his MCL in the Heat’s Play-in Tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers, knocking him out for several weeks. It was clear the short-handed Heat would have a hard time matching the firepower of this year’s Celtics team without some great luck on their side.
That proved to be true. Though the Heat managed to steal Game 2 in Boston behind 23-of-43 (53.5%) three-point shooting, the Celtics took care of business thereafter, winning Games 3, 4, and 5 by a combined 68 points.
Asked after the game if beating the Heat was extra special, Celtics star Jayson Tatum admitted he wanted to play the Heat in the first round, but not for the reason one might expect.
“I was thinking when the play-in game was, when they were trying to figure out the standings the last week or so, I just had my mind made up that we was going to play Miami,” Tatum told reporters.
“And I wanted to play Miami in the sense that maybe last year, playing Atlanta, we might have relaxed a little bit. But knowing the history with Miami and how hard they play and how well-coached they are, that for a first round matchup, regardless of the seed, that we were going to have to play, be ready to fight.”