(Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat may have survived the Play-In Tournament, but their reward for winning is a rematch against the Boston Celtics, who finished the 2023-24 NBA regular season as the best team in the league.
The Heat beat the Celtics in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals, so this series is personal for the latter that’s looking to add an 18th title to their organization.
Game 1 of their matchup went about as expected as Boston blew out a shorthanded Miami team that was without Jimmy Butler.
Butler was diagnosed with an MCL sprain and is expected to miss several weeks, all but ruling him out for the series.
Without Butler on the floor, Kendrick Perkins made a strong statement about their chances to upset Boston, via NBACentral.
“The Miami Heat could go 100% from the field and 100% from the 3 and they’re still gonna get swept in this series,” Perkins said.
“The Miami Heat could go 100% from the field and 100% from the 3 and they’re still gonna get swept in this series.”
– Kendrick Perkins pic.twitter.com/bRAf1EhVM7
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 21, 2024
It’s hyperbole to suggest a team could shoot 100 percent from the field and still lose a game, but it does speak to how dire Miami’s chances are in this matchup.
The Celtics are a well-rounded group that excels in just about any sort of situation, so the Heat are simply outmanned and outgunned in every game.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra shouldn’t be counted out in the postseason because he’s an expert tactician, but even he can’t make up the talent disparity between the two teams.
It would be a surprise if this series didn’t result in a sweep for Boston, though Miami won’t go down without a fight.
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