Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics vs Heat rivalry, key players and storylines

highly-anticipated Eastern Conference Finals will begin on Tuesday, 6:30 pm EST (Wednesday, 4:00 am IST) as . 5 seed Miami Heat will square off against . 3 seed Boston Celtics. This will mark fourth time Celtics and Heat meet in Eastern Conference Finals. This is first occasion in NBA history that top seed has reached ECF, as Milwaukee Bucks (4-1 series) and Toronto Raptors (4-3 series) were kcked out in earlier round of playoffs. 

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Celtics vs Heat he to he and rivalry leing up to Eastern Conference Finals

Celtics and Heat clashed in playoffs three seasons in succession (2010 to 2012). ir last series was 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, where LeBron James forced a Game 7 against Celtics and won Miami championship. While Heat missed ir playoffs last year, Jimmy Butler has propelled team to finals this time, with Miami pulling off an impressive 4-1 win against . 1 seeded Bucks during Conference Semifinals. This will be first time since 2013-14 season that Heat will play Conference Finals. On or hand, Jayson Tatum-led Celtics, who are familiar faces in playoffs, will play ECF for third time in four seasons. Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown will look to push Boston to finals, with a view to extending franchise's record to 17 NBA championships. 

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Celtics vs Heat storyline

While Celtics could have used Gordon Hayward in ir lineup for Game 1, forward has been sidelined due to his sprained ankle. However, Hayward is likely to return for rest of series, giving Celtics a much-required edge over Heat and Butler. Apart from Butler, young NBA stars like Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro have been supporting Heat's defence and offence both, while tred players like Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder have helped balance  team's attack. With a balanced group of players, Heat could secure Celtics' perimeter attack led by Tatum, Walker and Brown. 

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Celtics vs Heat key players

Butler stands at centre of Heat's game with his reliable defence and developed offence. five-time NBA All-Star has led team to postseason during his first campaign with m, averaging a team-high 21.1 points during playoffs. While Nunn, Herro and Robinson have helped Heat, Bam ebayo and Goran Dragic have come alive during postseason. Dragic has scored consistently during playoffs and was key in Heat's win against Bucks. 

Tatum, who started his NBA career in 2018, is leing team with 25.3 points per game in playoffs and will play Eastern Conference Finals as an NBA All-Star. Walker, who landed with Celtics after eight seasons with Charlotte Hornets, will play his first Conference Finals. With Hornets, Walker never won a playoff series. Brown too, is a key offensive player for Boston, along with Marcus Smart. 

Celtics vs Heat predictions – Celtics vance to NBA Finals after a seven-game series

With both teams excelling defensively, series could extend to a Game 7. Game 1 will t decide entire series but Celtics roster boasts more postseason experience. To win, Heat might have to figure out a way to defend Celtics' perimeter attack and will need Herro and Robinson scoring consistently while Butler and Dragic will need to come up with big numbers. Celtics might have a slight edge over Heat but it won't be easy to penetrate a defence crafted by he coach Erik Spoelstra. fact that Miami ranked 12th in defensive efficiency in regular season though, does t quite spell out a dominant defence. 

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(Im credits: Boston Celtics Instagram, AP)