The Celtics and Heat have had some epic playoff battles in recent memory, though Miami has sputtered in the post-Jimmy Butler era. Regardless, C’s fans are going to enjoy every time they beat their East rivals with the latest result coming in a 103-91 win Friday in Miami.
With the latest win, the Celtics extended another impressive streak over the Heat. That is now eight straight wins by the Celtics on the Heat’s home court at the Kaseya Center. The last time the C’s lost to the Heat in Miami was Game 3 of the 2023 East Finals, all the way back on May 21, 2023.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum talked trash after winning the 2024 title, saying “they always easy” when it comes to winning in Miami. And, well, as the streak goes longer, he’s not wrong. Tatum scored 28 points in the win Friday, along with Jrue Holiday putting up 25 points in a season-high performance.
Now, on the flip side, the Celtics have endured some home losses to the Heat. Game 7 of the 2023 East Finals was tough; they also lost Game 2 of the first round in the 2024 playoffs. But the C’s have dominated the Heat recently. They swept the season series, 3-0, during the 2023-24 season, before beating the Heat 4-1 in the first round. The C’s also have the 3-0 season-series lead on the Heat this year. The two rivals meet up one last time this season, set for April 2 at TD Garden.
The rivalry has cooled recently as the Celtics are still at the peak of their powers. The C’s are looking to win back-to-back titles as they’re 48-19. On the other side, the Heat have lost six straight games now, dropping to a 29-37 record.
Now, there is a chance the Celtics and Heat could meet up in the playoffs again this year. Miami is currently ninth in the East, 1.5 games behind the eighth-place Magic. So if the Heat get to the 7 vs. 8 game and win in the play-in tourney, they could meet the No. 2-seeded Celtics in the first round.
But there’s still a lot of basketball to be played before then. Celtics fans can take some comfort in knowing they’ve dominated their rivals of late. While Boston keeps winning games, Miami will continue to navigate life without Butler.
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