Heat-Celtics Game 7 Preview: One Final Punch Left

Game 7. What else needs to be said? The Boston Celtics are aiming to become the first team in NBA history to win a series after trailing 0-3, but do the Miami Heat have one more knockout punch left in them? If this game is any replication of last year’s Game 7 in the East Finals, we’re in for a treat.

Heat @ Celtics Game Information

• Location: TD Garden | Boston, MA
• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | TV: TNT

What kind of response does Miami have left in them, or do they roll over in the wake of the Game 6 heartbreak? On their home floor, after fighting back into the game, to lose on a tip shot off a miss with time expiring, the “Heat Culture" will need to be on another level to motivate that locker room.

Jimmy Butler, for the first time this postseason, looks vulnerable. In Games 5 & 6, he looked utterly worn out and, as a result, started forcing too much, leading to his 5-21 shooting performance from the field. Everyone knows the iconic Jimmy picture from the 2020 NBA Finals when Butler is bending over the barricade in pure exhaustion, but does he have one more of those in him? Without that effort, the Heat are, and have been, nothing.

Heat @ Celtics Game Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook

• Spread: Heat +7 (-108) | Celtics -7 (-112)
• Moneyline: Heat (+245) | Celtics (-300)
• Total: Over 203.5 (-110) | Under (-110)

First, I hope this game is different from the Sixers-Celtics Game 7, where Philly forgot a game was being played. I’m craving a high-intensity, everything-on-the-line type of slobber knocker, which I don’t think we’ve really had in the NBA since the Heat-Celtics Game 7 last season.

Boston’s going to bring their best punch with the crowd surging behind them. Miami’s mental fortitude should keep them in this game, but part of me also sees the pure talent gap between these two clubs catching up tonight. I like the Celtics here on the spread, as the momentum they’ve built feels so strong. I can’t imagine them falling short now.

Heat @ Celtics Prop Picks on FanDuel Sportsbook

• Jayson Tatum OVER 31.5 Points (-102)
• Jimmy Butler OVER 13.5 Rebounds+Assists (-135)
• Caleb Martin OVER 15.5 Points (-113)

Jayson Tatum’s Game 7 against the Sixers will go down in history, and he could be in for a lesser-scale encore tonight. He’s gone for 30+ points in four of six games this series, so he’ll be in the ballpark of this number as long as he doesn’t completely choke. Simply put, this play is more about trust, and Tatum has done enough for me to imagine a 35-point outing and a Celtics win, given his recent play when the stakes are highest.

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Jimmy Butler shooting the ball in Game 6 certainly wasn’t great for the playoff Jimmy narrative. It was abysmal. One thing remains, though, that he’ll do whatever the team needs to put them in the best spot for success. I’m looking for him to be more pass-first tonight and attack the glass, so I’ll take the over on his combined rebounds+assists at 13.5, which he’s hit in four of six games this series.

Caleb Martin has been my guy all series, and I’ll be riding with him once more. He’s gone over 14 points in every game this series and above 15.5 in six. What’s most intriguing is that he saw a series high in minutes in Game 6 with 41, where he dropped 21 points. I expect a similar opportunity tonight and look for his outside shooting to be key here, as he’s averaged nearly seven attempts per game.