Are Miami Heat-Boston Celtics On Course For Second-Round Playoff Matchup?
The Miami Heat are the second-hottest team in the Eastern Conference after climbing to No. 5 in the standings.
The Heat sit just 1.5 games behind the New York Knicks. The fourth seed would secure at least one home playoff series. It would also mean the Heat would likely play the Boston Celtics in the second round.
The Celtics are in a good position to lock up the top seed in the conference. They are 7.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers with 24 games remaining.
The Heat and Celtics recent playoff rivalry has reached the status of Heat-Knicks during the late 1990s and early 2000s. They have played in the conference finals three times since 2020. The Heat won last year and in 2020; the Celtics in 2022.
Tempers flared during their last game. Heat forward Duncan Robinson and the Celtics' Jaylen Brown traded words after an altercation two weeks ago. It ended with Brown tossing Robinson into the stands.
The Heat have won five straight games after a 106-96 victory over the Portland Trailblazers Tuesday night. They have defeated quality playoff teams during that stretch like the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Sacramento Kings.
The Celtics, the last team to defeat the Heat, have won all three games this season. The 33-point defeat Jan. 25 was one of the worst of the season for the Heat.
But before we can even talk about Heat-Celtics again, they must first prepare for Thursday's NBA Finals rematch against the Denver Nuggets.
Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.
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