NBA Playoff Schedule 2012: Top 3 Factors in Celtics vs. Heat Game 1

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are about to begin an Eastern Conference series where both teams are under enormous pressure to win and reach the NBA Finals.

Since the consequences of losing this series will be tough for both teams, the action should be full of excitement.

Let's look at the three most important factors in Game 1.

Power Forward Matchup

If Chris Bosh cannot play in Game 1 for the Heat on Monday, Miami will find it difficult to effectively defend Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett.

Garnett was disappointing in the teams' second-round series last year, and Bosh's victory in their matchup was the primary reason Miami won the series in five games.

Garnett is healthier this season and is playing some of the best basketball of his Celtics career. Garnett is averaging 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

If Bosh's abdominal strain forces him to miss any time in this series, Heat forward Udonis Haslem will likely have to guard the Celtics star for most of the series.

Haslem doesn't have the length to bother Garnett's jump shot, and his offensive struggles in the postseason will allow Garnett to not expend a ton of energy on the defensive end of the floor.

This matchup will be critical to the outcome of the series.

Will LeBron James and Dwyane Wade carry the Heat by themselves?

Without Chris Bosh, and with many of the role players struggling to score, Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been carrying Miami offensively.

In the second round against the Indiana Pacers, the Heat stars seemingly scored whenever they wanted to, especially toward the end of the series, as Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel (via the Boston Herald) points out:

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Individually, LeBron averaged 32.8 points and 11.7 rebounds and Wade 32.7 points the last three games against Indiana. Oh, and they shot a combined 58.2 percent.

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If James and Wade can dominate the scoring in this series, Miami will make its second straight NBA Finals appearance.

More important, however, is their play on the defensive end of the floor. If James can slow down Celtics captain Paul Pierce, the Boston offense will struggle.

This Heat team will go as far as the James/Wade duo will take it. 

Will the Heat be able to stop Rajon Rondo?

When the Heat lose to the Celtics, it's often because Boston point guard Rajon Rondo dominates at both ends of the floor.

Rondo's ability to help the Celtics' front line rebound and push the tempo of the game is very valuable. Since the Heat don't have a point guard that can defend Rondo well on the perimeter, the young guard shouldn't have trouble running the Boston offense.

If Rondo can average 18.7 points, 13.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game against the Heat in this series like he did over the three regular-season meetings he played in between the two teams, then Miami is in major trouble in the East finals.

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