Will the Udoka squad take the lead?

The Boston Celtics await Miami Heat in front of their home crowd for the first time in the NBA Finals in the East. Thanks to their win in the last game, they not only evened the series, but also grabbed home court advantage, previously held by the visitors as the best regular-season team in the East.

Boston Celtics – Statistics & current form

The record champion lost the first game of the series due to a lousy third quarter. But already in this game it could be seen that the team of Head Coach Ime Udoka was able to keep up with Miami in the remaining parts of the game.

This was not necessarily to be expected, as two important players, Al Horford and Marcus Smart, were missing.

In the following game they were back on board and the fact that they won the match with a difference of 25 points indicates that the home side in their best line-up will probably be too big for the Heat.

They also showed their fighting spirit once again: the Celtics have now successfully responded to a previous defeat with a win four times this postseason!

Miami Heat – Statistics & current form

The Florida franchise suffered their first defeat in the 2022 NBA Playoffs in their last game after previously winning seven games on their own turf.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra can still rely on Jimmy Butler, who did not play in the fourth quarter due to the Celtics’ clear lead and still managed to score 29 points, but the rest of the squad has room for improvement.

This is especially true for Tyler Herro, who disappointed once again this postseason. The point guard is delivering around seven points less per game in the playoffs so far, compared to his regular-season output for the three-time champions.

Boston Celtics – Miami Heat Tip

For the duel between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat in Game 3, the prediction on more than 25.5 points, rebounds and assists by Marcus Smart on the side of the home side seems promising.

The point guard, who was voted the best defensive player of the season, narrowly missed a triple-double in the last match-up, but still picked up a double-double in points and assists for the second year in a row in the postseason.

In addition, it was noticeable that he is now all the more motivated after missing the first game of the series due to injury. In any case, Smart is the emotional leader of the hosts, who is now particularly committed and leading the way in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

This can also be seen in the fact that the 28-year-old has once again increased his scores, rebounding and the number of assists for his teammates’ successful finishes compared to the regular season. In view of the aforementioned points, Smart is once again poised to have a strong game.