Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Will Have an Extended Break After Game 3
The team that wins Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals will have to wait longer than usual before building on the momentum.
The NBA announced Thursday night there will be a three-day break following Saturday's game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. Throughout the NBA restart, teams have generally played on an every other day basis. Game 5 was supposedly to take place Monday. The move will help the league avoid competing with the NFL.
The Heat, who are 10-1 in the postseason, had two week-long breaks during the playoffs. They swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round, allowing them rest time before playing the Milwaukee Bucks. After defeating the Bucks in the conference finals, they were off a week.
With a 2-0 lead in the series, the Heat are just two wins from making the franchise's sixth appearance in the NBA Finals. Behind Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks for their first title in 2006. They made four straight Finals during the LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Wade era, winning consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013.
Here's a look at the schedule for the remainder of the series:
Game 3: Saturday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4: Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 5: Friday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN (if necessary)
Game 6: Sunday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN (if necessary)
Game 7: TBD (if necessary)
The winner will face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. The Western Conference finals begin Friday night.
