TNT's Charles Barkley Guarantees Boston Celtics Win Tonight Against Miami Heat, Takes Shot At Host Dan LaBatard
Not only did Charles Barkley pick the Boston Celtics to win tonight's Game 5 against the Miami Heat, he also took a shot Miami native and podcast host Dan LaBatard.
During the predictions segment of TNT's pregame show, Barkley said the Celtics will force a Game 6 in the Eastern Conference finals. He then took a shot at LaBatard, one of the nation's most popular talk-show hosts.
"Fat Dan LaBatard and your fat daddy ... I'll see you on Saturday," Barkley said near the end of the broadcast. Guarantee!!!"
LeBatard did have a response. The two are close friends and were just having some harmless banter before the tip-off.
Here's the game preview:
Game time: 8:30 p.m., ET
Where: TD Garden
TV: TNT
Betting line: Celtics -8
VITALS: The Miami Heat and Celtics met four times this regular season with the teams splitting the series, 2-2. Miami is 53-80 all-time versus Boston during the regular season, including 30-38 in home games and 23-42 in road games. The teams enter this postseason having faced each other five times in the playoffs, including three times in the East Finals (2012, 2020, 2022), once in the Semifinals (2011) and once in the First Round (2010). The HEAT has recorded a 3-2 playoff series record against the Celtics over that span. For the Heat, Gabe Vincent (ankle) is questionable and Victor Oladipo (knee) and Tyler Herro (hand) are out. For the Celtics, Danilo Gallinari (knee) is out.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Max Strus
G Gabe Vincent
C Bam Adebayo
F Kevin Love
F Jimmy Butler
CELTICS
F Jayson Tatum
F Al Horford
C Robert Williams III
G Jaylen Brown
G Marcus Smart
QUOTABLE
Heat center Bam Adebayo: “We need to come out and set the tone. I feel like that’s the biggest thing. Set the tone, seek our identity and play more detailed basketball.”
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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.
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