Celtics

It happened again. The Boston Celtics let a Game 6 of the conference finals, in their building, slip away to the Miami Heat and a guy named “James.” There will ...

If so, for how long do their coaches dare to keep them out? The Heat have hit so many silencers tonight. In a consistent defensive stance. Jimmy Butler. On a hurt knee. Brutal execution from Boston at the end. He suggested that Jimmy Butler needed to channel his inner "Heatles" LeBron James if the Heat wanted to win Game 6 in Boston and play a Game 7 in Miami. Butler finished with 47 points (a career playoff high), nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. •3h ago That guarantees the Warriors three more days of between series rest than their Finals opponent. •3h ago Jimmy Butler on ESPN: "I got a phone call and text message from D Wade earlier today and he was telling me I can do this. •3h ago •3h ago

Our experts give their best betting tips ahead of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Outside of the third quarter of Game 1 and the first quarter of Game 3, the Celtics have outscored the Heat by 87 points. Brown (26.5%) has the second-highest usage rate on the team behind Tatum (30%) this postseason and should continue to exploit his matchups on the court. The Celtics have outscored the Heat in 15 of the 20 quarters the two teams have played over the last five games of the series. The Celtics played very well in closeout games this postseason, sweeping the Nets in Brooklyn and winning two straight games over the Bucks to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat are dealing with several injuries and are on the ropes. Tatum has gone over 39.5 PAR in six of his last nine games. They have been the dominant team for the majority of the series. Notable: This season, teams favored by more than five points with an over/under less than 210 have won just over 68% of the time. He played 27 minutes and had 6 points and 10 rebounds. Best bet: Celtics 2H (-3.5). The Heat are running on fumes and dealing with a myriad of injuries at the moment. Finding creation: Derrick White has averaged 5.5 assists and 11.5 potential assists over the past two games. Miami should rely heavily on Adebayo early and often in this must-win Game 6.

The Boston Celtics were one win away from the N.B.A. finals. After Butler's 47-point Game 6 performance, the Miami Heat are, too.

His performance as a whole evoked memories of 2012, when LeBron James scored 45 points to lead the visiting Heat to a Game 6 win over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. As a team, the Heat made five 3-pointers in the first quarter, which was especially impressive considering they had gone 7 of 45 from 3-point range in Game 5. And Butler, still in search of his first championship, seems determined to make his own mark. The Heat proceeded to win Game 7 to advance to the finals, then won it all. Spoelstra would know, having coached the Heat to two titles and five finals appearances. “The same thing every single day.” He said he had been uplifted by a pregame phone call from Dwyane Wade, the former Heat guard. “He looked at us, didn’t say a word,” Tucker recalled. They mishandled the assignment, leaving Butler with a clear path to the hoop, and he pounced, driving for a layup and absorbing contact for good measure. They had lost Game 5 by 13 points while shooting 31.9 percent — at home, no less, where their fans shuffled out of the arena wondering whether they would see the team again this season. By the time he cradled the basketball outside the 3-point line late in the fourth quarter, taking a half-beat to survey the landscape before him, he carried himself with a certain air of inevitability: Was there any doubt what would happen next? He did so on an ailing right knee after two of the roughest games of his career.

After a back-and-forth series that saw both teams at their best — and at their worst — it all comes down to this: the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat meet ...

If you’re looking to livestream the Celtics vs. Whoever wins between the Heat vs. Prefer to stream the Celtics vs. If you want to watch the Celtics vs. Here’s how to get tickets to watch the Heat vs. Heat game and watch it back on-demand. Another way to live stream the Heat vs. Here’s where to find an NBA livestream to watch the Eastern Conference finals online. Try the Hulu + Live TV plan, which gets you access to more than 80 live TV channels, including ESPN. You also get access to Hulu’s on-demand tier, plus a free subscription to Disney+ and ESPN+. The total for everything: just $69.99/month. While some NBA games air on ABC, the Heat vs. Heat on TV. But led by Jimmy Butler’s whopping 47 points (to go along with nine rebounds and four steals), the Heat came alive in Game 6, taking down the Celtics by a score of 111-103.

BOSTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler had 47 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Miami Heat forced the Eastern Conference finals to a decisive seventh game ...

Derrick White and the Celtics remain confident going into Game 7 even after a potentially deflating Game 6 loss. Read more on Boston.com.

We understand the severity of the game that’s on the line. “We won the close-out game, obviously, Game 7 [against Milwaukee], and for us, we’ve won two in Miami, so that’s the positive of it,” Udoka said. “But just have to make it harder than it is, and at times it feels like we’re doing that, not taking advantage of what’s in front of us, and just overall sloppy basketball on both ends,” Udoka said. It’s a 10 out of 10 in my confidence level and the group.” “At the end of the day, that’s what it is. “Just got to breathe. We’ve been here before, and we’ve got a lot of confidence in our group.” The Game 6 loss might have been another chapter in the Celtics’ book on how they’ve made the playoffs harder on them than they should be. And for the second straight series, it feels like the Celtics could have avoided ending up being in a win-or-go-home spot. He only went to the free-throw line twice, making all four of his free throws. We know how much this means to everybody.” “Yeah, I mean, we’re frustrated, but if it was easy, it wouldn’t be us,” White said.

Fans of the Boston Celtics were of course quite displeased with the egg laid by their team at a potentially critical juncture, playing like a club that assumed ...

Another Game 7 battle awaits the Celtics, this time with a trip to the Finals on the line.

“You've got to get ready, prepare mentally, but come into the game loose, come into the game free, come into the game with a clear mind. We've been here before, and we've got a lot of confidence in our group.” So we've got to come out ready to go and almost just forget about last game and come out and have a great mentality.” “Just got to breathe,” he said. “Obviously this game hurt to lose on our home floor, but we've got to have a short-term memory and come out. And that’s why their confidence remains so high despite having to head into a hostile environment where they'll be playing for their lives.

With Boston one win from breaking through to the NBA Finals, it's a reminder of how fleeting this moment can be.

It's the fourth for Brown in six seasons, and the fourth for Smart in eight. Like that Thunder team, the Celtics look like a group that could be positioned for an extended run of excellence. "We had to come out with the right mentality after a win, and we did that. "If you want to break through and punch a ticket to the Finals, you're going to have to do some ridiculously tough stuff," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Game 5. Six years later, the Celtics were in a similar position, leading James -- in his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers -- 3-2 in the series. The Celtics have made it to the East finals six times since that last Finals trip in 2010. While Boston has dealt with its share of injuries -- Robert Williams III's recurring knee issues, Marcus Smart's right leg injuries and Al Horford missing Game 1 of the series due to NBA COVID-19 health and safety protocols -- Miami has been decimated by them. Even if all of them were healthy, the Celtics' league-leading defense is putting an already suspect Heat half-court offense into a sleeper hold. That Thunder team is one example of how fleeting the kind of moment the Celtics have in front of them can be. "Yeah, it does," Tatum said with a smile when asked if it feels different to be in this position now than it did four years ago. "This is a great opportunity," Boston's Jaylen Brown said after the Game 5 victory. They appeared to be a dynasty in the making.

There's been four road wins already in this series. Will the Celtics make it five and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011?

Bam Adebayo had another quiet offensive game on Friday night scoring just 12 points. ESPN's Lisa Salters will be the broadcast's sideline reporter. Yes, Jimmy has been hampered by knee soreness the past four games, but in Game 6 he almost single-handedly willed his team to victory. He finished with 18 points and 10 assists, hitting some key shots along the way. "They give me that confidence to go out there and play basketball the right way and just hoop. Point guard Kyle Lowry had zero points in that game.

Following a frustrating loss at home to the Miami Heat in Game 6, how confident is Jayson Tatum feeling ahead of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals?

Tatum has almost always bounced back from his middling to poor performances this postseason, just as the Celtics have themselves. As for Tatum himself, his stat line was solid enough in Game 6, with 30 points on 9 of 12 shooting, nine rebounds and four assists. Ten," Tatum said at his postgame press conference.

The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 111-103 on the road in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday to force a decisive Game 7 with a ticket ...

Of course, you have to credit the Heat and their defensive efforts in their three wins, but a lot of Boston’s carelessness is because they are trying to rush things. While he may only be playing on one healthy leg, every positive minute Kyle Lowry can give the Heat in Game 7 is going to go a long way in them possibly making the NBA Finals this year. Defensively, the Heat really dug deep in Game 6 and it seemed like every time the Celtics would go on a little bit of a run, Miami would have an answer for them. Looking back on Game 6 though, there is a lot to talk about before the final game of this series. "I gotta play better, I'm playing terrible," Lowry said following the Heat's loss in Game 5. Scoring a playoff career-high 47 points on Friday night, Jimmy Butler was able to fight through a lingering knee injury to carry his team to a win while facing elimination.

If the Celtics are going to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Miami, they need a more aggressive and assertive offensive showing from Jayson ...

I think it was just kind of how the flow of the game was going." "I think it's just the flow of the game, how the game was going," Tatum said. They need to play with that aggressive mentality in Game 7 or the Celtics' season could come to a very disappointing finish. Tatum and Brown combined for only one shot attempt over the final 4:43 of the game -- a Tatum floater that cut Miami's lead to 105-101 with 1:08 remaining. Instead, the Heat finished the game on a 17-6 run to secure a 111-103 win and stave off elimination. It seemed like the Celtics, after trailing for most of the night, were finally going to pull away and celebrate a conference title.

The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics and No. 1 seed Miami Heat face off on Sunday at FTX Arena in Miami in Game 7 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. In games they were favored in by 2.5 points or more so far this season, the Celtics went 32-31-2 against the spread. Miami has covered the spread 59 times in 102 games with a set spread. And in the slimmest of margins, even with Butler potentially gassed, side with the home team. Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. More: Boston Celtics vs.

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka says Boston must get off to a faster start against the Miami Heat and cannot 'give them life early' in Game 7 on Sunday.

It would be hard to have imagined a scenario four months ago where the Celtics would be playing now -- let alone playing in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. We have confidence in going down there winning, too, but we have to get ourselves off to better starts, get ourselves easy baskets and not give them life early in the game." But at the same time, they are our scorers, they're our leading scorers, and obviously in the fourth quarter, we need them to bring it home. "Obviously, early in the game if they're going after them, we encourage them to get off the ball and the defense will kind of break down and open up for them later in the game," Udoka said. After again committing several careless turnovers in the opening moments of Game 6 and falling into a 12-5 hole, they essentially spent the game attempting to dig themselves out of it. Even in these playoffs, it hasn't been easy ... a lot of that is due to what we're doing, and we can be better, for sure.

The Celtics are actually slight favorites. Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler are the favorites to win the Larry Bird MVP. Matthew J Lee/Globe staff). By Conor ...

In five career Game 7s, Brown’s averaged 12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. Looking at player props, Jayson Tatum’s lines are set at 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on DraftKings. Tatum’s averaging 24.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists through the first six games of the series. Brown’s a distant third at +1000. After that, the odds take a very steep drop. He’s played in just two Game 7s over his 11-year career, averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in those games. Jaylen Brown’s lines are a bit lower than Tatum’s and Butler’s. DraftKings has Brown’s lines set at 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. After his dominant Game 6 performance, Jimmy Butler’s lines for Game 7 are set at 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Brown’s averaged 24.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists so far in the conference final. There are a couple of positives though for the Celtics in looking at the historical trends. The under in Game 7 has fared well in recent years, going 34-22 since 2005, via Ewing. The Celtics’ trends from this postseason are in their favor. A road team being the favorite in Game 7s is quite rare. Not only have the Celtics handled their business on the road during the playoffs, but they’ve also been quite dominant throughout the season.

The Celtics had a trip to the NBA Finals on the line Friday night, but a combination of factors have them facing the reality of needing to win in Miami a ...

It's a 10 out of 10 in my confidence level and the group. Williams changed the energy of the game in the third quarter while leading a single-big lineup with Horford hindered by foul trouble. Little has come easy for the Celtics this season but they’ve always found a way. It’s undeniably hard to pull someone like Smart or Horford off the court in crunch time but it felt like Williams should have been out there. He finished with just three assists over 40 minutes, 25 seconds of floor time and wasn’t his usual impactful self on the defensive end (the Heat were 9-of-15 shooting for an eye-popping (and team-worst) 26 points against Smart, per the NBA’s defensive tracking data. The Heat scored 17 points against him (second highest on the team behind Smart) on 7-of-16 shooting. He spent the rest of the night hitting momentum-sapping buckets -- most seemingly of the and-1 variety -- every single time the Celtics made a charge. The Garden spent the four quarter waiting to blow the roof off the place and Brown’s misses and Butler’s immediate bucket absolutely silenced the room. Some Celtics fans will lament the calls that went against Boston. The referees, after swallowing their whistles early, made themselves a storyline in the second half. Boston needed a last-second layup from Jayson Tatum to steal Game 1 against the Nets that lit their fuse for a first-round sweep that still required them to sweat out a bunch of crunch-time moments. Boston is literally limping to the finish line in an ultra-physical series against Miami in which there has not been more than a day’s rest between games. Despite Butler’s efforts, the Celtics still had every opportunity to end this series.

The Celtics are going to need Jaylen Brown to show up in a big way in Game 7 of this exhausting Eastern Conference Finals series with the Heat.

The Celtics had the home crowd in their corner and the supposedly fresher legs. Playing Game 7 in Miami shouldn’t faze Brown, who led the Celtics with 25 points in their 93-80 win in Game 5. They forced a Game 7, so now we’ve got to come out and do what we do best.” So we’ve got to come out ready to go and almost just forget about last game and come out and have a great mentality. Brown sounded resolute afterward that the Celtics would get their act together in Game 7, and there is some reason to believe they will. Jimmy Butler, who was in full beast mode (47 points) after looking hobbled in Game 5, followed the misses with a conventional 3-point play on the other end, and the Heat iced their win at the foul line.

Jimmy Butler finished with 47 points on 16-of-29 shooting, 4 of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc and 11 of 11 from the free-throw line.

Lowry had three points on 1-of-6 shooting while Strus gave the Heat zero points on 0 of 7 from the field in Game 4. The Heat have to throw the first punch, second punch, third punch and then weather the storm. The Heat have the formula. Yes, they forced a lot of turnovers by the Heat, but they matched them every step of the way in giving it right back to Miami. The Celtics were way too sloppy with the ball. What can the Heat do to win Game 7? But with their season on the line and in the home of the Boston Celtics? Butler may have taken the deed to the building. From there, the Heat went on an 8-2 run to put themselves up six points with 43.9 seconds remaining. Thirteen points on 5-of-12 shooting for Strus and Lowry had 18 points on 5 of 14 from the field, while also dishing 10 assists. That’s the combined number of points from Kyle Lowry and Max Strus in Game 6. Butler finished with 47 points on 16-of-29 shooting from the field, 4 of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc and 11 of 11 from the free-throw line. It was a reminder that Butler might be the most bullheaded, determined player in the NBA when he can turn it on. He carried the Heat when most people counted them out.