Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - May 17th, 2023 | NBA Playoffs, Game 1

For the second straight season, the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will try to outlast each other for a spot in the 2023 NBA Finals. Boston edged Miami last season in a thrilling, hard-fought series that went the full distance.

Expect this head-to-head battle to be another riveting back-and-forth starting on Wednesday night at the Celtics’ TD Garden court.

The Heat and the Celtics could have met in the first round if only Miami had cooperated. Boston had locked up the seventh seed with a week to spare but the Heat lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first play-in game.

Jimmy Butler’s team desperately fought for their lives and rallied to beat the Chicago Bulls for the eighth seed and final playoff spot. In one of the biggest upsets in two decades, the Heat dispatched the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in just five games.

Butler’s 56 and 42 points in Games 4 and 5 were enough to send the Heat to the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks.

The Miami Heat forward had no such explosion in the Knicks series. Instead, both teams played a low-scoring, defensive battle. The Heat came out on top in six games to await the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics matchup.

While the Heat have exceeded expectations, the Celtics have been underwhelming. They needed six games to beat the supposedly overmatched Atlanta Hawks. Boston also had to overcome a 3-2 disadvantage to eliminate MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jayson Tatum, though, has proven that when the stakes are highest, he’s up for the task. A 51-point explosion in Game 7 against Philly was the best in a winner-take-all game.

The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics are very familiar with each other. Jimmy Butler vowed after last season’s loss to get his revenge while Tatum and the Celtics want to finish the job in the finals.

Game 1 should be just the start of a sizzling, edge-or-your-seats series.

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Where to watch

Game 1 of the series between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will start at 8:30 PM ET. TNT will air the game on national TV while fans can also stream the action via the NBA League Pass.

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Game preview

The Miami Heat has been a menace on the road while the Boston Celtics have struggled even on their home floor. Boston knows that winning the Eastern Conference will be much more difficult if they allow Miami to steal home-court advantage.

The Heat have shown that it can play any game and still be difficult to beat. They eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in a high-scoring series even without Tyler Herro. Miami also sent home the New York Knicks in a defensive battle, limiting the Knicks to below 93 points twice.

The Boston Celtics also displayed their elite defense against the Philadelphia 76ers. They will need to sustain that form to possibly win the series even if their shots don’t fall.

The Celtics can’t afford the same mental mistakes and poor execution that plagued them in the previous two rounds. They know they can beat the Heat but they will have to be in their best form to do that.

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Game prediction

Spread: Celtics (-8.5)

Total (O/U): 210.5

Moneyline: Heat (+300) vs. Celtics (-375)

The Boston Celtics, fresh off their superb Game 7 performance against the Philadelphia 76ers, will play to their potential and draw first blood. Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will show their usual grit and resilience but will fall a little short.

Boston Celtics 125, Miami Heat 118