Watch Boston Celtics @ Miami Heat live on Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Thursday morning (12:30am)
Thursday 4 April 2019 09:13, UK
The Boston Celtics visit the Miami Heat hoping to strengthen their grip on fourth spot in the East, but face opponents fighting for their own playoff berth.
The Celtics (46-32) come into this contest slotted into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a tie-breaker advantage over the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers, who have an identical record.
Boston have won three of their past four games, with their most recent triumph a 110-105 win over the Heat at TD Garden on Monday night.
Kyrie Irving led the way with 25 points, adding eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals; Al Horford generated 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists; while Jayson Tatum posted 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Marcus Smart scored 16 points, while Gordon Hayward led the bench with 11 points and four rebounds.
The Celtics will list Jaylen Brown (back) as doubtful for Wednesday's contest. Marcus Morris (knee) will carry a questionable designation, while Horford (knee) will be listed as probable.
The Heat (38-39) continue to hang on to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference by a thread, as they lead the Orlando Magic by just half a game.
Miami have won three of their past five games, but dropped their most recent contest to the Celtics on Monday night.
Goran Dragic led the way with 30 points, adding five assists, one rebound and five steals. Bam Adebayo produced a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double that also included two assists and two blocks. Dwyane Wade paced the bench with 17 points and seven assists, and he added five rebounds and one steal, while Dion Waiters and Kelly Olynyk had matching 14-point tallies.
The Heat will list Justise Winslow (thigh), Josh Richardson (heel), and Rodney McGruder (knee) as questionable for Wednesday's game. Derrick Jones Jr (knee) remains out.
Wednesday's contest marks the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Celtics hold a 2-1 series lead, having notched 107-99 and 110-105 wins on January 21 and April 1, respectively.
Two superstars of different eras meet in this encounter. Wade, now in his final season and a role model and mentor to many of the league's younger stars, has shown a canny ability to turn back the clock with game-winning plays in this campaign.
His spectacular buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat the Warriors earlier in the year may prove a pivotal moment in the Heat's season if they hang on to eighth place in the East.
While Irving must carry some of the responsibility for the Celtics' failure to truly gel this season, it's also true he was won them many games with stellar play at the conclusion of games.
NBA.com/stats defines a clutch shot as one made with five minutes or less remaining in a game in which the point differential is five or less. In these situations, Irving has made a league-high 54 shots (from 118 attempts). His shooting percentage in these high-pressure situations is an excellent 48.6 per cent.
19.4 - That's the number of free throws the Celtics attempt per game, the second lowest in the NBA. It is a figure that illustrates the Celtics' unwillingness to drive to the basket, preferring instead to settle for less efficient mid-range jump shots and three-pointers.
Irving, Tatum, Hayward, and Brown have all previously shown the ability to drive to the hoop, absorb contact and finish, but all are guilty of settling for jump shots when they should be more aggressive.
Tatum announced himself last season as he played a major role in the Celtics' journey to the Eastern Conference finals, and punctuated his stellar season with a famous dunk on LeBron James.
His second season has seen his game regress. Whether he has struggled to adjust to a new role owing to the return of Irving and Hayward, or he has become stricken with sophomore struggles, Tatum's 45.2 field percentage and 37.6 per cent three-point accuracy are significantly lower than his rookie season.
When many expected this season to see him leap forward, Tatum has stumbled backwards.
All-action center Adebayo has supplanted Hassan Whiteside in the Heat's starting line-up, despite Whiteside being Miami's highest paid player.
Second-year pro Adebayo has seen a jump in playing time since the All-Star break and has responded accordingly, putting up 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
However, box scores alone don't tell the full story of his impact. Adebayo brings a frenetic urgency to the game, something absent in the play of the more laid-back Whiteside. His willingness to do the dirty jobs - setting tough screens, playing rugged defense, making the right passes to team-mates - has helped the Heat maintain their playoff push.
