Robb: Celtics Look To Maintain Homecourt Momentum Versus Heat
BOSTON (CBS) – The postseason may be a couple months away, but the intensity level at the TD Garden may reach playoff-like levels on Saturday afternoon when Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat come to town for the first-time all season.
Boston currently holds a one game edge over Miami for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with 24 games remaining. That No. 3 spot will be sought after hard by both teams in order to avoid a potential second round showdown with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I mean, it's a big game," Isaiah Thomas said at practice Friday. "The next game is always the biggest game, but we know they're right behind and we definitely want to get some separation in the standings. It starts with tomorrow. It's a big game. And we gotta take care of homecourt."
The Heat have kept pace with the Celtics despite being incredibly shorthanded lately. They have missed the services of All-Star power forward Chris Bosh who is battling blood clots issues once again, since the All-Star break. A pair of reserve point guards (Beno Udrih, Tyler Johnson) have been ruled out for the season with injuries, leaving them very undermanned in the backcourt. Despite these obstacles, they have won three of their last four games, and nearly knocked off the Warriors on Wednesday night in a 118-112 shootout in South Beach.
After being knocked off by the Heat at the Garden last year by a roster that didn't include Wade or Bosh playing, Brad Stevens knows he has to prepare his troops for Miami's best shot.
"They've been playing without Bosh now for all those games, so they've always been able to plug pieces in and still maintain a high level of play," Stevens said. "And that's been the case ever since I've been here. There have been multiple games where they haven't had all their guys. Last year they didn't have I think Bosh, Wade and maybe one other, and they came in here and just drubbed us. And so we're going to have to play well. It's not only a team you're playing against but they've got a good culture. They've got a good way they go about things, and they're a hard-playing group."
Without Bosh, the Heat have turned more to the idea of small-ball with Hassan Whiteside anchoring the middle. It's a tactic that has helped them produce the NBA's sixth best defense, largely because of the versatility the team has on the wings.
"I just think they've got all the athleticism obviously in the backcourt with a guy like Wade or a guy like Winslow," Stevens explained. "They've got a great defender and a versatile defender in Deng. Richardson is playing great right now and then they've got one of the best rim protectors in the game in Whiteside. So I think they just have a lot of good size, good length and then the ultimate protector back there so that guys can't get easy looks at the basket."
With one more matchup awaiting with Miami after Saturday's game and 1-0 edge in head-to-head matchups so far, one more win will clinch the season series for Boston, a tiebreaker that could prove pivotal in a crowded Eastern Conference come April.
Despite those implications, Evan Turner knows his team can't put too much onus on themselves for this one and overlooked the rest of the season.
"Every game is key, but we just want to set the tone and keep getting better," Turner said. "If we win tomorrow and blow the next four or five, the big game and whatever position we're in really doesn't mean anything. The thing is just trying to hit our stride and ride that wave, so that when playoff time comes and April hits, we're in a better position."
With nine consecutive wins at TD Garden in the books, Turner and the Celtics will try to keep that momentum rolling on Saturday in the midst of a five-game homestand.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter@CelticsHub.