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The Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics for Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.
The Celtics knocked off the reigning-champion Milwaukee Bucks in seven games, capped-off by a demonstrative 109-81 victory Sunday; Boston outscored Milwaukee by 54 points from 3-point range — hitting 22 3s (on 55 attempts) to Milwaukee’s four (on 33 attempts....yikes) — and 34 points over the final three quarters.
Grant Williams tied Stephen Curry and Marcus Morris for the most 3-pointers in a Game 7 all-time with seven, finishing with 27 points on 7-of-18 from distance with six boards; Jayson Tatum tallied 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor, including 5-of-9 from deep, adding six boards, eight dimes and one block.
The Heat, meanwhile, clinched their second East Finals berth in three seasons Thursday over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jimmy Butler (read more about him more here!) tallied a game-high 32 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and a pair of blocks in the series-clinching nine-point victory.
Butler averaged 27.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals on 51.3/32.1/81.8 shooting splits in the six games against his former team — loudly asking the rhetorical question, “Tobias Harris over me?” after the game.
Boston and Miami were two of the league’s top defenses during the regular season, finishing No. 1 and No. 4 in the NBA in defensive efficiency, respectively. They’ve also been two of the three best defenses in non-garbage-time this postseason, per Cleaning The Glass.
The key to this series will likely be who generates more sustainable offense, as both teams are going to be physical, scrappy and relentless on both ends of the court. There might also be lots of flopping/falling, too, so be aware!
INACTIVE/INJURIES:
MIAMI:
- Kyle Lowry (hamstring) - OUT
- Caleb Martin (ankle sprain) - QUESTIONABLE
- Max Strus (hamstring strain) - QUESTIONABLE
- P.J. Tucker (calf strain) - QUESTIONABLE
- Gabe Vincent (hamstring strain) - QUESTIONABLE
BOSTON:
- Sam Hauser (right shoulder instability episode) - OUT
- Marcus Smart (right mid-foot sprain) - QUESTIONABLE
SERIES SCHEDULE:
Heat-Celtics ECF Schedule:
| GAME | DATE | MATCHUP | TIME | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAME | DATE | MATCHUP | TIME | TV |
| Game 1 | Tuesday, May 17 | Boston @ Miami | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Game 2 | Thursday, May 19 | Boston @ Miami | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Game 3 | Saturday, May 21 | Miami @ Boston | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Game 4 | Monday, May 23 | Miami @ Boston | 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Game 5* | Wednesday, May 25 | Boston @ Miami | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Game 6* | Friday, May 27 | Miami @ Boston | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Game 7* | Sunday, May 29 | Boston @ Miami | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Projected Starters
| Celtics | Position | Heat |
|---|---|---|
| Celtics | Position | Heat |
| Marcus Smart | PG | Gabe Vincent |
| Jaylen Brown | SG | Max Strus |
| Jayson Tatum | SF | Jimmy Butler |
| Al Horford | PF | PJ Tucker |
| Robert Williams III | C | Bam Adebayo |
ODDS:
- Heat -1.5 (-110)
- Total: 204
- Moneyline: Celtics +105, Heat -125
OTHER FUN PROPS, AMONG SEVERAL OTHERS, TO POTENTIALLY BET:
- P.J. Tucker first basket: Yes (+1100)
- Heat -1.5/Under parlay (+260)
- Butler and Tucker with 2+ made 3-pointers each (+550)
- Adebayo double-double (+140)
- Herro over 17.5 points + assists: -120
BROADCAST INFO:
TIME: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
RADIO: The Ticket 790AM & The HEAT Radio Network (Jason Jackson, Ruth Riley Hunter)
SPANISH RADIO: WAQI 710AM & The HEAT Spanish Radio Network (José Pañeda, Joe Pujala)
Come back to Hot Hot Hoops at game time to join our GameThread and chat about the game live with other Heat fans!
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