Opener of the Eastern Conference Finals!

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics face off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The home side booked their ticket to the Eastern finals faster than their opponents. Thanks to a 4-2 win over Philadelphia, the Florida franchise advanced to the finals.

The visitors, on the other hand, had to play seven games before they finally prevailed against the now soon to be dethroned champions from Milwaukee. The matchup is further a rematch of the 2020 East final.

Miami Heat – Statistics & current form

Head coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad has the advantage of home court in the series. Having finished first in the regular season, they now have four home games in a possible seven-game series.

The opener is also in Miami and the hosts can count on the home bonus right away. It is a lavish one for them: The three-time champions have not lost at home for nine games now.

In addition, Heat has a powerful two-way player in Jimmy Butler on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Only three players have scored better than “Jimmy Bucket” in the 2022 NBA Playoffs and averaging 7.6 rebounds per game is of course something to be proud of in terms of his performance in the postseason.

Boston Celtics – Statistics & Current Form

The Celtics will appear more tired than the home side, as they were still playing the semi-finals against the Bucks until last Sunday night. In the final deciding game in front of their own crowd at the “Garden”, Grant Williams in particular came up trumps.

He scored 27 points and set a new personal record at the best possible time. Especially from downtown he was unstoppable, as he sank seven three-pointers.

Overall, outside shooting was a key to Boston’s impressive performance in the game. With 22 successful attempts of this kind, Head Coach Ime Udoka’s team even set a new record for a “Game Seven” in NBA history!

In Jayson Tatum, the visitors also have a very strong scorer on hand, just like Miami in the person of Butler, who ranks right behind Butler in the corresponding postseason ranking as the fifth best scorer so far.

Miami Heat – Boston Celtics Tip

For the showdown between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in Game 1, the tip aims for a home win. The hosts are very strong at home and have won all seven home meetings on their own turf in the postseason.

Already during the regular season, the home side posted the highest home win percentage in the East at just under 71 per cent.

They also have a physical advantage, having had a longer recovery period after the last round.