The Miami Heat are about to embark on the second leg of a back to back which is also the third leg of a three-game road trip. Can they overcome the odds?
The Miami Heat got the job done on Tuesday night. They were able to walk into the Scotiabank Arena in heart of Toronto and knock the Raptors off on their home floor.
Not only were the Raptors sitting immediately ahead of the Miami Heat in the rankings of the Eastern Conference but they were also starting to be considered amongst the best teams in the league, while like the Heat, boasting an undefeated record on their home floor.
Well, that is no more. The Miami Heat got it done in an overtime effort on the backs of strong performances from Duncan Robinson, Justise Winslow, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
Duncan Robinson had 22 points for the game on 6-9 shooting from deep. Justise Winslow had 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, but came through huge in the closing stretch with a series of buckets to keep the game within the Heat’s grasps.
Bam Adebayo was especially aggressive on the offensive end tonight, putting up 18 points of his own, but he was also mostly responsible for keeping MVP candidate Pascal Siakam in check to a tune of one of his worst nights this season. Jimmy Butler was the man of the hour though.
Not only did he make the big free throw to help the Heat send it to overtime, although he could have made the possible game-winner, he did so on the heels of achieving a triple-double. Throw in the fact that he scored the first eight points of the overtime period, that fact makes up for the missed free throw in a win. He finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists on the night.
It is now on to the Boston Celtics in their place. They’ve been off since Sunday, having last faced the lowly Knicks in New York. They should be itching at the chance to face the Miami Heat at this exact moment.
The Miami Heat are on the second night of a back to back, meaning that the Celtics already see wounded prey, but the Miami Heat haven’t won on the second night of a back to back set at all this season. Also, throw in the fact that the Miami Heat sit second in the Conference to the Celtics’ fourth and combine that with the fact that the Heat just plucked the Raptors, the Celtics will be eager to get this one started.
Don’t let all that get you caught up though, moments like this are what the culture was made on. The Miami Heat should be aware of everything that was mentioned previously and they should also be ready to play.
It will be a good game and you should look forward to seeing the Heat try to overcome quite a few obstacles en route to another in-conference win. Here is everything else you need to know about this game.
Miami Heat gambling & odds vs Boston Celtics
Money line- Miami Heat +200 Boston Celtics -250
Spread- Miami Heat +5.5
Total- 213
Gambling odds and information courtesy of The Action Network
How To Watch/Listen
Date: December 4, 2019
Time: 7:30 PM EST
Location: TD Garden Boston, Massachusetts
TV: Fox Sports Sun(locally), Fubo.tv
Radio: WAXY 790 AM WAQI 710 AM
Starting Lineups
Miami Heat
PG- Kendrick Nunn
SG- Jimmy Butler
SF- Duncan Robinson
PF- Bam Adebayo
Boston Celtics
PG- Kemba Walker
SG- Marcus Smart
SF- Jaylen Brown
PF- Jayson Tatum
C- Daniel Theis