Heat vs. Celtics: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More
The Miami Heat will play the Boston Celtics for the first time since the second game of the season on Sunday in an Eastern Conference showdown in Boston.
The Celtics are playing phenomenal basketball right now and have won seven of their last 10 games. Boston has taken over first place in the Atlantic Division and will be looking to make a statement against the Miami Heat, a team that the Celtics don't like very much.
The Heat have the second best record in the Eastern Conference but haven't played well against contending teams recently.
Let's look at a complete preview of this fabulous matchup between two of the NBA's best teams.
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
When: Sunday, April 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Watch: ABC
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
Listen: 850 AM WEEI
Betting Line: Miami -3.5 via Betonline.com
Key Injuries (Via USA Today)
Celtics guard Ray Allen is questionable for Sunday with an ankle injury.
Celtics guard Mickael Pietrus is out with a concussion.
Heat forward Udonis Haslem is probable for Sunday (personal reasons).
Heat guard Mike Miller is doubtful for Sunday with an ankle injury
What They're Saying
The Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week, and head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about LeBron James' solid performance in the win, saying via ESPN:
"“He made so many winning plays out there,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I don’t think the box score tells the story of the impact he had on the game. He made winning plays when the game was in the balance, it could’ve gone either way.”
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Just about every player on the Celtics has battled some sort of injury this season. Boston has been snake bitten this season regarding injuries, but have battled tremendously, which is what they will have to do for the rest of the year.
""It's nice that we're winning," Rivers said via CSNNE.com. "But we won in the stretch when (Rajon) Rondo was out. We needed him back, too. It's just the way basketball is. Our team has weathered a lot of storms. The way things look, we're just going to have to keep doing it."
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Most Important Player to Watch: Rajon Rondo
Arguably the best point guard in the NBA, the Celtics' chances of beating the Heat on Sunday, or doing anything in the playoffs for that matter, rest in the hands of Rajon Rondo.
When Rondo is aggressive and is leading the offense with energy and setting an uptempo pace, the Celtics are very hard to beat. When Rondo isn't doing this, the team plays like an average squad.
His defense and playmaking will be crucial to the outcome of Sunday's matchup.
Key Matchup: Kevin Garnett vs. Chris Bosh
The matchup at power forward will be huge for both teams because it will be a battle at both ends of the floor.
Chris Bosh needs to shut down Kevin Garnett and limit his effectiveness or the Heat will lose. Garnett has dominated at both ends of the floor in recent weeks and has been the Celtics' most consistent player this season. He is scoring well and is rebounding the best he has since the 2007-08 season.
The Celtics as a team are near the bottom of the league in all rebounding categories, so Garnett will have to battle hard on the glass for Boston against Miami.
The winner of this battle will lead their team to victory on Sunday.
Prediction: Celtics win 94-87
The Celtics are going to make a statement on Sunday with a huge, confidence boosting win against the Heat. Boston is playing very well right now and their superb defense will be a major reason for their success against Miami.
Garnett and Rondo will set the tone for the Celtics and lead Boston to victory in a thrilling NBA matchup. This game will be intense, nasty, and exciting. You cannot afford to miss it.
