May 25, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson (55) during the second half of game five of the 2022 eastern conference finals at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
- The Heat head into a must-win Game 6 on Friday against the Celtics
- Miami currently trails 3-2 in the series after back-to-back losses
- The Celtics vs Heat odds, preview, and prediction can be found below
It’s win or go home on Friday for the Miami Heat as they head into a crucial Game 6 against the Boston Celtics. The tip-off is set for 8:30pm ET.
In a rather low-scoring contest, the C’s captured a 93-80 victory in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. Jayson Tatum and Co. need just one more win to book their ticket to the NBA Finals and will have the chance to do so at home here.
Heat vs Celtics Odds
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Miami Heat | +8.5 (-110) | +320 | Ov 201 (-110) |
Boston Celtics | -8.5 (-110) | -405 | Un 201 (-110) |
Odds as of May 26th at FanDuel.
The C’s are a clear 8.5-point favorite and have covered the spread in two games in a row.
Heat on The Brink
Miami’s offense hasn’t been very consistent for most of these playoffs but across the last two games, they’ve essentially looked non-existent. Game 5 was a brutal 102-82 blowout then the Heat only put up another 80 points on Wednesday.
Jimmy Butler, who was enjoying a fantastic postseason, is clearly dealing with knee pain from earlier in the series and it showed, scoring just 13 points in 40 minutes of action.
Biggest lead each game this series:
Game 1: Heat by 20
Game 2: Celtics by 34
Game 3: Heat by 26
Game 4: Celtics by 32
Game 5: Celtics by 23This series sucks. pic.twitter.com/Ul80OhALE3
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 26, 2022
Bam Adebayo’s 18 points were about the only bright spot for Miami. The squad also shot a putrid 16% from three-point land and for a team that relies so heavily on the triple, this is simply not a recipe for success.
Kyle Lowry, meanwhile, has played just eight times in the postseason because of a hamstring injury and at this point, it might be smart for Erik Spoelstra to bench him and run with Gabe Vincent as the starting PG. Lowry posted a goose egg on Wednesday and is offering zero offensive consistency.
Good Celtics defense or bad Heat offense in Game 5? @KendrickPerkins’ answer shouldn’t be a surprise. pic.twitter.com/8TBnpfbQLv
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 26, 2022
To make matters worse, Tyler Herro is listed as questionable for Friday after missing the last two contests due to a groin strain. With their backs against the wall and Lowry and Butler already beat up, the Heat desperately needs Herro available to offer some scoring output off the bench.
Celtics With All The Confidence
Boston is heading back home with the opportunity to clinch their spot in the Finals. It doesn’t get much better than that. Plus, the Celtics are coming into their own at the perfect time.
Game 5 wasn’t a great performance from Ime Udoka’s squad either, but they exploded in the third quarter and took control of this contest, outscoring Miami 32-16.
Jaylen Brown scores 19 in the second half and leads the @celtics on a 24-2 run to secure the Game 5 victory and take a 3-2 series lead!
Jaylen Brown: 25 PTS, 5 3PM
Jayson Tatum: 22 PTS, 12 REB, 9 AST
Al Horford: 16 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK💎 Game 6: Fri. 8:30pm/et on ESPN 💎 pic.twitter.com/cBF306qPKl
— NBA (@NBA) May 26, 2022
Jayson Tatum showed out for 22 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in a very efficient showing, while Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field. The C’s didn’t light up the scoresheet by any means, but between their solid defense and Miami’s atrocious offense, it turned out to be a convincing victory.
Boston heads into Game 6 at almost full strength. Marcus Smart and Robert Williams are listed as questionable but they both played on Wednesday. Even if the two don’t suit up in the possible series-clincher, Derrick White and Al Horford will continue to step up to the plate. Next man-up mentality.
Heat vs Celtics Prediction
Honestly, Miami has far too many injuries to bet on here. Lowry looks washed up and Butler isn’t healthy enough to show out for 40 points as he did before his knee injury in Game 4. Boston is full of confidence and they’re at the TD Garden. I expect them to comfortably take Game 6.
Pick: Celtics -8.5 (-110)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT ’17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.