Celtics-Heat Conference Finals Predictions: Will Jimmy Butler stand in the way of C's making it back to NBA Finals?
BOSTON -- Here we are again. Boston. Miami. With a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
The Celtics and Heat met last year in the conference finals, and it took until the final seconds of Game 7 in Miami for a winner to be determined. This year, the Celtics will be looking to close things out much sooner, while the Heat will be looking to flip the script in the rematch.
This will mark the third time in the past four years that the Heat and Celtics have been the last teams standing in the East, with the Heat eliminating Boston in six games back in the bubble in 2020.
The two teams went 2-2 against each other in the regular season, and they'll both be properly rested when this series tips off on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Here's how the WBZ sports team sees this one playing out.
Steve Burton, WBZ-TV
Like they did against Joel Embiid and the Sixers, the Celtics will wear down Jimmy Butler and the Heat. The Celts have a much more talented team, and their bench is deep and confident.
But it won't be easy. This matchup may also go seven. But in the end, the Celtics win the series.
Celtics in 7
Dan Roche, WBZ-TV
These two teams know each other really well, having gone 13-13 against each other over the last four years when the groups are together. I think the Celtics getting that one step further last year, if everything goes the way the NBA says it should go over the course of history, the Celtics find a way to win this series even though Jimmy Butler is Jimmy Butler.
I just think the Celtics are a better team, and they win the series in either six or seven games and move on to the NBA Finals for the second straight season.
Celtics in 6 or 7
Michael Hurley, WBZ.com
I don't mean to be a party pooper, but there's something about the Heat that gives me pause when it comes to the Celtics. It just feels like the Heat have that extra level of competitiveness, nastiness, and ability to grasp the moment -- the very things that we're always looking for the Celtics to have on a consistent basis.
The Heat used those powers to stun the Bucks -- in five, no less! -- and then grind their way past the Knicks. Of course, the Celtics present a much tougher challenge than the Knicks, and there's a chance that Jayson Tatum and the Celtics unlocked their next level in Game 7 vs. Philly.
Yet until the Celtics consistently play their best night in and night out, I'll always have some doubt. And the Heat seem like the perfect team to capitalize on any Boston weaknesses. Plus, the inspiration to atone for last year has to be very real.
So, after picking a pair of Celtics sweeps, I've got to mix it up here and go with the team that has a better coach for this large stage.
Heat in 6
Matthew Geagan, WBZ.com
The Celtics are going to lose a game at home. They may even fall behind in the series. And just because they are the more talented team does not assure a series victory. They can't assume anything against this dangerous Heat team. (And neither should we.)
But the Celtics are the more talented team, and at some point in the series, they're going to figure out a way to lock up Jimmy Butler. Boston is hungry to get back to the Finals, and I think this is going to be the series where both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown play like superstars. Boston's depth will also play a huge part of it all later in the series.
Celtics in 6