Did Miami Heat Attain And Lose Their Swagger Too Soon Against Boston Celtics?

Shandel Richardson | Apr 30, 2024

Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin (16) reacts to a 3-point basket against the Boston Celtics - Michael Laughlin/USA TODAY Sports / Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat are a team full of swag just like the city they represent.

But their play against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs has shown otherwise according to Heat forward Caleb Martin. He said his teammates need to get back to playing with more swagger to have any chance of overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Celtics.

"I think just play with confidence," Martin said. "We've got to get some swag back. We're too tight, too hesitant, second-guessing everything. We're just not playing and letting it go and being confident and living with the result. Typically, when we play like that, good things happen." 

For that to happen, the Heat need to find a way to stop this skid against the Celtics Wednesday in Game 5 at TD Garden in Boston. If they lose, they have no reason to hang their heads because they are playing without top scorers Jimmy Butler, Jaime Jaquez and Terry Rozier.

Still, they have to stay competitive because they are playing against one of their top rivals in the Celtics. The teams have met in the postseason four of the past five years, including the last two conference finals. The Heat and Celtics split those meetings but Miami won in 2020 on the way to playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals .

"Credit to them," Martin said. "They're shooting the ball really well. They're the No. 1 team in the East for a reason. We've got to continue to find a way to make it tough on those guys. These are the types of teams you want to play."