The Miami Heat have taken advantage of a soft spot in the schedule to win five straight, but things are about to get a lot tougher.
The Heat travel to Boston to take on the defending champion Celtics on Wednesday night. They haven’t won a regular season game in Boston since Dec. 2, 2022, and are expected to lose by double-digits in this one.
Feeling good after piling up a few wins, this is a great chance for the Heat to measure themselves against the league’s best.
Here’s what to know for Wednesday night’s tilt.
How to watch Heat at Celtics
Time: 7:30 pm ET
Location: TD Garden, Boston
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Stream: NBA League Pass, Fubo
Notable injuries
Update: Jaylen Brown is available. Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porzingis (reconditioning) are out.
The Heat will be without Andrew Wiggins, who didn’t travel with the team on this trip due to hamstring tendinopathy. Coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t offer a specific timeline when asked about Wiggins’ status but said he is progressing.
They’ll also be without Duncan Robinson for the fifth straight game because of a lower back injury listed as “left sacroiliac joint dysfunction.” Kevin Love will also miss the game for personal reasons.
For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are listed as questionable. Al Horford is doubtful.
Quick scout
The Celtics are one of the league’s bets teams and peaking at the right time. They have the league’s no. 1 offense over the last fives games and are averaging more than 20 made 3s over that stretch.
Key matchups
Jayson Tatum vs Bam Adebayo/Tyler Herro: Depending on who is available in this one, Adebayo could get the Tatum assignment. Tatum will be on MVP ballots this season and deservedly so. He’s never been better as a playmaker or as a complete scorer. Tatum likes to mismatch hunt and will likely call Herro’s man into a screen to get the switch. The Heat will try to switch these actions early to avoid this matchup. Adebayo will also try to fight through the screen before giving up the switch. Erik Spoelstra could go to zone at times, but that risks Boston getting hot from deep. This will be the chess match to watch.
Betting
The Heat are 10.5-point underdogs on the road.