Boston Celtics (57-25, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (44-38, eighth in the Eastern Conference)
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Heat lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Heat host the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Heat defeated the Celtics 111-105 in the last matchup. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 27 points, and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points.
The Heat are 24-28 in Eastern Conference games. Miami currently has the league’s lowest-scoring offense averaging 109.5 points per game.
The Celtics are 34-18 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is second in the Eastern Conference with 26.7 assists per game led by Marcus Smart averaging 6.3.
The Heat average 109.5 points per game, 1.9 fewer points than the 111.4 the Celtics give up. The Celtics have shot at a 47.5% rate from the field this season, 0.7 percentage points less than the 48.2% shooting opponents of the Heat have averaged.
This year, the Heat average 12.0 made three-pointers per game both at home and on the road (while shooting 36.0% from deep in home games compared to 32.9% on the road). The Celtics drain more 3-pointers per game at home (16.2) than away (15.8), and have a higher 3-point percentage at home (37.9%) than on the road (37.4%).
TOP PERFORMERS: Bam Adebayo is shooting 50.3% and averaging 18.5 points for the Heat. Butler is averaging 28.3 points over the last 10 games for Miami.
Tatum is averaging 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown is averaging 23.0 points over the last 10 games for Boston.
LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 8-2, averaging 110.7 points, 41.3 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.4 points per game.
Celtics: 5-5, averaging 112.4 points, 41.8 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 5.4 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.7 points.
INJURIES: Heat: Victor Oladipo: out for season (knee), Tyler Herro: out (hand).
Celtics: Danilo Gallinari: out (knee).
Source: apnews