The Miami Heat were in full control of their destiny, jumping to a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
And even though they’re still in a prime position to punch their tickets to the NBA Finals, it seems like the narrative has drastically changed over the past 48 hours.
Recently, Stephen A. Smith warned the Heat not to lose Game 5, as that would give the Celtics all the momentum ahead of a potential Game 6.
If the Celtics win tonight… pic.twitter.com/ZTSxgMjYz2
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 25, 2023
And even if the Heat were to lose on Thursday night, Smith believes there’s just no way they can afford to drop Game 6 as well and then try and win Game 7 at the TD Garden, of all places.
Smith claims Jayson Tatum is now good in close out games after facing plenty of criticism for his shortcomings in those types of situations, citing that the Heat don’t want to be in that spot.
It might seem obvious, but he’s right on point.
We cannot ignore the fact that the Heat barely made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, whereas the Celtics were the No. 2 seed and the oddsmakers’ favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
The Heat have one of the best coaches in the game in Erik Spoelstra, so they’re not likely to drop four games in a row.
They also have an elite playoff performer in Jimmy Butler, who’s been on a tear since the start of the postseason.
But the Celtics are no pushovers, either, and you don’t want to mess around and give them another chance to live.
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Analyst Says 1 Celtics Player Gets Too Much Disrespect
