Boston Celtics: 5 Keys to Beating the Miami Heat

Here we are again.

It's been a little over a year since the Heat eliminated the Celtics last season in the second round, and now they are meeting up again. This time, a trip to the finals is on the line.

Oddly enough, the Celtics this year, with their core slightly older, seem to have a better shot at winning than last year. In order for them to win though, a lot will have to go their way.

This is what they will need to do to ensure victory.

Garnett Needs to Continue to Dominate

There is no doubt that Kevin Garnett has been the best player for the Celtics throughout these playoffs, and he will need to continue his dominance against the Heat.

Without Chris Bosh, Garnett will be the Celtics' best scoring option in this series, and there is no reason why Garnett shouldn't score at will against the Heat. If he can continue to put up points, then the Celtics will have an excellent chance at surprising the Heat. 

The Celtics Need to Contain Either LeBron or Wade

LeBron James and Dwayne Wade have been arguably the two best players in the playoffs so far. Because of that, they make the Celtics' job that much harder.

It is almost a given that each will score in the 30s each game. In order for the Celtics to give themselves a chance at winning, they need to hold their combined total under 60 points.

It sounds a lot easier than it really is, but if they can do that, the Celtics will put themselves in a great position to win.

The Celtics Need to Dominate Inside

The weakest part of the Miami Heat is their frontcourt, especially with Chris Bosh out. Even though they don't have the best frontcourt in the league, the Celtics still have a huge advantage over the Heat.

In order to beat the Heat, the Celtics need to dominate the glass on both ends and score in the paint. Throughout the playoffs, the Celtics haven't grabbed many offensive rebounds or scored down low, but the Celtics will need to change that.

The Celtics Need to Keep the Heat's Role Players Down

As I mentioned before, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James will score their points. What is more of a wild card is the other players on the court.

Wade and LeBron can't win games on their own. If the Celtics can keep role players like Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and Joel Anthony from having a big impact, then it will be hard for the Heat to beat the Celtics.

Rondo Needs to Dominate...All the Time

Rajon Rondo could completely take over this series if he wants to.

Anyone who has watched Rondo knows that the ceiling on his play is almost nonexistent. I would not be surprised if Rondo records a few more triple-doubles during this series and lights up the scoreboard.

In order for the Celtics to win, Rondo needs to be the best player, even better than LeBron and Wade.